The Sanctuary
by HuskyWalker
Summary: After losing everything and on the run, Harry will do anything to keep Teddy safe, even if it means to travel back in time. He hadn't counted on their family growing, but Dark Lords, noisy old wizards, werewolves and much more keep uprooting his peace. Slash. EWE.
1. Mirror of Erised

**Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.**

**Warnings: This story will have slash**

**Beta: Angelhitomie and Miss888**

**I have two more chapters written and plan on updating once a week, that should give me the time to write a couple more chapters, I hope.**

**There is just some corrections in this one, since I got a second beta. Chapter 2 should be up in a few days.**

If Malfoy did not show up within the next five minutes, Harry would go and find the ferret so he could make a repeat of fake-Moody's stunt back in their fourth year.

Teddy's fussing drew the wizard's attention away from the thoughts of sweet revenge to the small child in his arms. His godson easily succumbed back to sleep with a few strokes on his back and a hummed nursery song, making Harry breath out in relief. While Teddy was normally obedient and easily entertained, he was still a child. There was no way a four-year-old would be able to grasp the seriousness of their situation.

Cradling Teddy's covered body to his own form, Harry stepped forth from their hiding place, a small alleyway between two run-down looking shops, to take a quick look up and down the alley. At late evening Knockturn Alley was just as filled with people as Diagon Alley was on a normal day. It made it easier for him to hide but the same could be said for their pursuers. As two hags passed by too close for his liking, even if the Invisibility Cloak covered them both completely, Harry pulled back. Despite Voldemort's fall back when Harry was seventeen, there were still plenty of shady looking people walking around freely.

And right now Teddy's survival depended on the arrival of one of those shady types.

Harry's only free hand found his wand and was out of his pocket the moment a second party entered the alleyway. "Bloody Potter, where are you? Debt or no debt, I'm not going to stand here and talk to thin air like some Gryffindork idiot." It was impressive how good at imitating an aggravated snake Malfoy was. Instead of voicing his thought, Harry used the opportunity to sneak up on the blond.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't use that kind of language in front of my godson, Malfoy." Harry commented casually, making sure to poke Malfoy hard enough in the ribs with his wand to let Malfoy know that he was armed. And should Malfoy manage to take his wand, Harry had far more destructive means to defend them with.

Despite his negative train of thoughts Harry still smiled wryly when Malfoy jumped in surprise. "Bloo-Potter is that you?" Malfoy's eyes were focussing too much to the left to be actually looking at him. Considering that Harry had given him nothing to go by than his wand and the sound of his voice, he would say that the ferret had done it pretty well.

It didn't mean that he would let Malfoy know that. "No, I'm the Easter Bunny." The joke fell to the ground at Malfoy's complete lack of understanding what Harry had said. Sighing, Harry knew he was better off not trying to explain it. "Yes, I'm here and so is Teddy. Can we get on with this?" He was tired and afraid, and tired of being afraid. But he could not allow himself to relax before Teddy was safe.

"How stupid are you, Potter? This is not something you do in the open." Malfoy half whispered as he kept glancing back at the street. So far no one had taken notice of the seemingly lone wizard, but Harry would not count on that lasting for long.

They left the alleyway, Harry walking as close to Malfoy as possible without actually stepping on the other. With other people around them, some of them not even human, Harry kept quiet. Instead he watched Malfoy.

The years had been good to Malfoy, Harry noticed with a hint of jealousy. Just by watching the other wizard it was impossible to tell that the other had spent three months in Azkaban while waiting for his trial. Of course, it had nothing on the twelve years Sirius had spent in that place, plus no dementors to guard the place, and plenty of time to heal afterwards also played a big role. His school rival was broader and he had grown a little taller, if he grew his hair out, he would end up looking like Malfoy Sr.

"Merlin, you stink Potter. When was the last time you bathed? Or did you roll in the trash while waiting for me?" They entered a creepy looking inn. Despite the windows being clean, none of the remaining light from the outside could slip in, leaving plenty of shadowy corners for customers to hide in. The bartender behind the counter grinned at Malfoy, showing of two rows of too white fangs.

Harry turned away from the man and followed Malfoy up some creaking stairs. "Bathing facilities aren't exactly easy to use when you are on the run." He grumbled. It would have been easier if they could have disappeared into the Muggle world. But with Teddy's lack of control over his metamorphus abilities it was a risk Harry was not willing to take. But the way Malfoy stepped away when they reached the top of the stairs was unnecessary in Harry's opinion.

"In here." Harry stepped in first, every instinct from his Auror training telling him it was one of the worst beginner mistakes he could make. Usually he would suspect Malfoy of leading him into a possible ambush.

But this one time Harry knew he could trust Malfoy not to lead him into a trap.

It must be a sign of how wrong things had gone when he had to go to Malfoy for help.

The room was rather bare, which he supposed was to expect from this kind of place. There was a table with a few chairs and up against the faraway wall stood a bulky thing covered by a white sheet. Most important of it all, there were no other people in the room, strengthening Harry's belief that he had done right in contacting Malfoy.

As soon as the door closed, Malfoy breezed past them, taking a seat while gesturing for Harry to do the same. Hesitant, because those wooden chairs didn't look like they could take his and Teddy's combined weight Harry sat down opposite of Malfoy.

"Do you have what I asked for?" Now that they were out of the open, Harry shrugged the cloak off, it was a little awkward but he managed to do so without disturbing Teddy's rest. It had taken ages to get the boy to sleep and Harry preferred it, if he stayed like this until it was all over with.

"Bloody Hell, Potter!" Malfoy's exclamation had Harry halfway out of the chair and the wand ready before realising that Malfoy was staring at him and not at someone behind him. Rather confused and slightly uncomfortable he sat down, cradling Teddy's head with black and red locks like his own, closer to his chest.

Knowing that the changes in his hair colour drew attention, Harry allowed Malfoy to stare for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "So, do you have the papers?" He intriguingly watching as Malfoy produced a stack of parchments from an inner pocket of his outdoor robe, not quite meeting his gaze as he pushed them across the table. Harry supposed it had something to do with his lack of glasses. The change had started a little over three weeks after Voldemort's defeat and had continued until he no longer needed his glasses. People had commented how uncomfortable the changes made them, but for Harry it had been a great benefit when he no longer had to worry about losing his glasses when dueling.

And Ginny had been happy with the loss of the dorky glasses, which had also been an added bonus for him.

"It's all there. Your new names are Hadrian and Teddy Grey, a small, extinct Pureblood family. They were known for being neutral when members of it were still around. No one should question your appearance since it was a very private and isolated family. It leaves you plenty of room to weave your own back-story, as long as you remember the details I have provided you with." Even if they both knew that Malfoy was doing this because he had to, the blond made it sound like Harry should get down on his knees and thank him.

"You've been homeschooled. Enough Purebloods do this so you will not get any raised eyebrows. Your O. and N.E.W.T scores are the same and like all the other documents they have been goblin forged, so there will be no mistake to find."

"I found one, or several actually." Harry looked up from the birth certificate he had been looking through while Malfoy spoke.

"Where?" The parchments were snatched from his hands and shuffled through. "What are you talking about? Everything is exactly as I ordered them. With how much they've cost they can be nothing short of perfect."

Rolling his eyes Harry grabbed the papers back, careful not to jostle Teddy too much. "The dates are all wrong. I don't think that anyone will believe that I'm forty-nine years old." Apparently he couldn't trust Malfoy, he would probably have better luck dealing with the goblins personally, despite the whole dragon incident.

Malfoy's lips pulled into a thin line, reminding Harry a bit too much of their deceased Potions master. "Honestly, Potter. You called in the Life debt I owe you, don't you think I would make sure that everything goes according to the plan?" Though confused how all the wrong dates fitted in, Harry still nodded. After all, he had done the same when Mrs Malfoy had called in his debt to her to ensure that her son would not end locked up in Azkaban like Lucius Malfoy had been. "You are a bigger idiot than I thought if you think you can hide anywhere on this planet. You are the people's big hero, their Saviour, the Man-Who-Conquered." Draco listed of some of the more popular names from the Daily Prophet. "They will find you before a week is over, two if you ditch the child."

"I can't leave Teddy! Do you have any idea of what they will do if those people get their hands on him?!" He had seen pictures of those so-called camps; they were hardly fit to house living beings. It shouldn't surprise him that no one was protesting, according to the Wizarding world, werewolves weren't exactly human-beings.

Not even those whom had known Teddy since he was a baby had spoken up. Not even Ron who had babysat Teddy under a full moon. Granted, his friend had ended up with a few chewmarks, he really should have known better than to have eaten bacon before coming near Teddy, but he hadn't endured bodily harm or been turned. And Harry hadn't been able to contact Hermione since she had holed herself up in the Department of Mysteries before it all started.

And of course no one was listening to him after the fire. They thought he had gone mad with grief after losing Ginny and the child. He probably would have if not because he had to be there for Teddy.

"Hawwy, hot." Big green eyes blinked drowsily up at him. The four-year-old rubbed his eyes, his hair turned blond as he looked around. "Who's that?"

Malfoy looked decidedly uncomfortable when he realised that Teddy was awake but when the child looked up at him, Harry was surprised to see the blond smiling. "Greetings, Teddy Lupin, I am Lord Draco Malfoy."

When Teddy positively lit up upon hearing Malfoy's name, Harry felt the urge to bang his head against something hard. "Uncle Won told me about you, you'we the Gweat Bouncing Fewwet!"

Malfoy also looked like he wanted to bash someone's head in, probably Ron's for telling the tale. But surprisingly, Malfoy still managed to keep smiling though it was starting to look a little strained. "But we are also cousins, of sort. My mother and your grandmother were sisters." Watching Malfoy interacting with Teddy was like stepping into a parallel universe. Where was the haughty Pureblood snob he had had to deal with back at Hogwarts?

"Gwan Andy is dead, Ginny and the baby too." Harry closed his eyes briefly, swallowing. Both of them had lost so much in the span of a few hours, and Harry doubted that the pain inside him would lessen.

The grief he saw mirroring in Malfoy's expression was surprising, but it seemed no less real than what he felt. Most of their little family had been ripped away and thought it made some things easier, he hated the fact that his godson had learned what death meant this early in his life.

Teddy shrugged, clearly not all that impressed by the relation to the villain in many of his Uncle Ron's stories. Sometimes Harry wished he could accept things with a child's ease.

"Then what do you suggest?" Harry tried to sound unconcerned with Teddy being awake and aware; he could not allow his emotions to get the better of him. Teddy had already noticed the rising temperature; Harry wouldn't allow him to become more aggravated than he already was.

Smirking Malfoy stood and sauntered over to the covered object. "I am glad that you asked. When there is nowhere on this planet you can hide, why not leave it?"

"Last time I checked, none of our brooms can go to the moon." Harry drawled. Perhaps Malfoy had lost his marbles; Ron would probably say that he had never had any to begin with.

"No matter what those Muggles claim no one can go to the moon, you can't breathe the air that high up." Harry refrained from trying to explain it to Malfoy. This was something Hermione would be better at. "No, if there is no place on this Earth to hide on, you find another one." In one sweeping motion Malfoy pulled off the cloth, revealing the object he had hidden under it.

Harry felt like this was a cruel joke as he found himself staring at the Mirror of Erised, he had thought the mirror stayed in the chamber where he had met Voldemort at eleven, how had Malfoy gotten it from there? But it looked too much like the Mirror of Erised to be a fake, despite the strange symbols Malfoy had pained on the mirror's surface that looked suspiciously like blood.

"You're serious?" Harry's mind was reeling at the many possibilities Malfoy's words offered. If they went to another world, they might not have to hide away as fugitives. Teddy could have a normal childhood, no worries about the press or Death Eaters on the run. No more trouble because they weren't exactly normally like everyone else.

It sounded too good to be true.

"What's the catch?" Harry shifted his hold on Teddy slightly. With the way his godson woke up crying last night, it wasn't hard to figure out what Teddy's greatest wish was.

"Well, it is not so much an alternative universe as it is the past I'll be sending you to." Harry's breath was caught in his throat. If Malfoy spoke the truth, this opened a whole new range of possibilities. He could stop the murder of Andromeda, Ginny and their child; perhaps even stop Sirius from falling through the Veil. Hell, if he went far enough back he could even stop Voldemort from killing his parents.

The possibilities seemed endless and so unlikely to what Hermione had told him about Time Turners. "If it is possible, then why haven't others done it before?" Unlike with the Time Turners, there was no Ministry control to stop people from going back as they pleased.

"Because, Potter, this is a one way ticket. You can go to the past but you can not ever go back to this time. While it indeed is the past, all this has already happened. Just by travelling back you create an alternative future for you to live in." Harry had to close his eyes again for a brief moment, feeling overwhelmed.

So even if he went back in time and saved everyone, it wouldn't be his beloved ones he saved. Would it really be worth it?

His gaze found Teddy. Other than when he awoke, Teddy had been keeping quiet, somehow understanding the seriousness of the situation.

It would definitely be worth it if he could keep Teddy safe. "How are we going to do this?" he asked.

Tenseness he hadn't noticed before bled out of Malfoy's body. "I've already prepared most of it. All I need is for you to stand in front of the mirror while I lay the finishing touch." Doing as he was told, Harry made sure that Teddy's face was turned towards the opposite wall. His chin resting on Harry's shoulder. This was not something he wanted his godson to see.

Most of the mirror's surface was painted with red squiggles that looked rather like blood. But behind the symbols Harry could see an image start to take form. It was the same as the one in his first year with his parents and the rest of his family standing right behind him. His image was also holding Teddy, but in there the child was smiling and waving at him. Next to his image a living Ginny was standing, in front of an equally alive Andromeda. She was smiling, laughing and her throat was unslashed and her eyes were not empty. In her arms his wife held a small bundle with black hair.

Harry guessed it was the child she would have given birth to if she had been alive.

Through the tears gathering in his eyes, Harry was aware of Malfoy standing next to the mirror. The blond lifted something high above his head and only when he swung it against the mirror did Harry realise that it was a hammer.

When the mirror broke the glass didn't fall to the ground as Harry had expected. Those pieces with symbols on them glowed and surged forward towards them. Realising the danger they were in, Harry curled himself around Teddy. He could heal from the damage to him, and Harry refused to let any harm befall his godson.

But Harry never felt the piercing pain of the glass pieces. The light grew to the point where Harry had to close his eyes if he did not want to risk getting blinded.

He stood like that for a long while before realising that it had grown silent around him, he could not even hear Malfoy moving around any longer. Cracking his eyes open, Harry realised that the light was gone, and so was the mirror and Malfoy. The room looked the same with its table and chairs, but slightly newer, also there was no one else in there with them.

Straightening up, Harry nearly stumbled over his own two feet to get to the door. "Hawwy, where did Dwaco go?" Teddy seemed completely unaffected by all that had happened. That brought a smile to Harry's lips.

"He had something he needed to do and left as fast as he could."

Harry could feel Teddy scrunch his nose through his robes. "That's not po-pu, that's not nice."

Harry merely hummed in reply, of course Teddy would complain about lack of manners. They were out in the hallway now, also empty for people. It was darker here than it had been in the room, but he had written it off as an effect of the loss of light. It made Harry wonder how far back they had travelled, Malfoy had never gotten around to explain that part.

Reaching downstairs, Harry momentarily froze at the last step. When they had been heading upstairs there had barely been any people inside. Now there was someone at every table and the level of noise made it impossible to follow the ongoing conversations. There had to be some good spellwork in the work because none of this noise had reached him before he had come this far. But no one was paying attention to them, and for that Harry was thankful. Not only could he not explain what they had been doing upstairs when he hadn't yet, wouldn't, whatever he was supposed to call it, walked up there in the first place, but most of those people didn't even look human, or friendly.

Making sure that he had a good hold on Teddy, Harry walked to the front door, trying to look like he had every right to be there.

He passed the counter and nearly paused in his steps when he recognised the guy behind it. It was the same one that had grinned at Draco when they had come in and he didn't look a day younger. There was a chance that this man was the other guy's father, but they looked too alike to not be the same person.

The bartender looked at them, causing Harry's breath to get caught in his throat, before the man's gaze went away, proving that Harry was being paranoid and mistaking a bored man for an attempt to single them out.

It was still a good enough reason for Harry to get moving.

The street was just as crowded with people as the inn had been. Harry pulled both of their hoods up and made sure that both his wand and Invisibility Cloak were secure. Then he turned right and made his way up Knockturn Alley and towards Diagon Alley.

This late far more of the Wizarding World's lowlife were out, and Harry had to stop himself from reacting when a few accidentally bumped into him. No matter what, he would not attract unwanted attention.

They were close to Diagon Alley when Harry was grabbed by the arm and thrown into a side-alley not unlikely the one they had been hiding in when waiting for Malfoy to show up. "Hawwy!" At his godson's distressed call, Harry made sure that Teddy was still well covered, while not taking his eyes off the two whom had pulled them in there in the first place.

"Can I help you two with something?" It was too dark for him to see anything but the duo's outlines, but judging from the strength he had been moved with, Harry would say that they were not humans.

"That boy isn't human. Give him to us and we shall deal with it." The one to his left chuckled at his companion's words and Harry felt his hackles rise.

Glowering at the female who had spoken, Harry bared his teeth. Though they were close to Diagon Alley, Harry knew that he could expect no help from there. No respectable wizard or witch would go in here unless they had a good reason, or weren't really respectable.

In Harry's opinion, it might actually be for the best if the so-called help stayed away.

"How likely is it that you would just let us go?" Harry asked, tensing when the male moved closer but still wasn't within reach.

"Not likely kiddo. That kid stinks!" The male hissed, making Teddy stiffen against him.

Well aware that he was being watched, Harry ran a hand through Teddy's locks. The male's answer had helped him narrow down the possibilities. As far as he was aware, vampires were the only ones who thought that werewolves stank. "Hey, how about we play a game?" He asked Teddy, smiling when his godson nodded against his shoulder. "Great, then hide and seek it is. Close your eyes and cover your ears. After you have counted to ten slowly, you may come and find me."

When Teddy moved his hands the child accidentally knocked off his own hood, revealing his still platinum blond hair. Harry instantly promised himself that he would find a way to stop Teddy from having blond hair again. Not that those two would be able to tell anyone once he was done with them. But to see a combination of his and Malfoy's features was simply unsettling.

"How cute, you think making this a game will make his death easier." The woman cooed, not having moved from her original spot.

Aware that he had a short time limit to work with Harry smiled at a spot between the two shadowy figures. "Why don't you find out how easy death will come?" Harry asked, managing to sound far calmer than he actually felt.

It was terrifying to stand his ground when the two vampires hissed and jumped at them. Merlin, he hoped that this would work, otherwise the two of them were dammed.

Hunching protectively over his godson, Harry flung out his arm, letting go of the heat he had felt building up under his skin and watched as bright flames consumed the small sidewalk.

It was over so fast that the two vampires didn't even have time to scream at the sudden pain they were no doubt experiencing.

Still hunched over Teddy, Harry went through the flames. This was much bigger than he had intended to and would no doubt draw attention from several unwanted eyes.

They had gotten into Diagon Alley when Teddy reached ten. "Hawwy, I found you!" Bright green eyes shone up at him, thankfully none of the flames had gotten the chance to as much as touch Teddy, and Teddy's hair bled into Harry's mix of black and red.

"That you did, pup." Harry laughed as he pulled Teddy's hood up, hiding Teddy's abilities from possible watchful eyes, his eyes darting around to assure himself that they were not being observed and followed. It was so easy to forget all the things wrong when he had Teddy around, but Harry knew that he could not allow himself to be careless. "Now, how about we find somewhere to stay for the night?" Tomorrow he would figure out where to start. There was a lot of things that needed to be done. He had enough money to keep them going for a while, but he needed to find out what they would do after that.

Tapping the stones that made the barrier upon for them, Harry stepped through the opening, listening to Teddy babble on.

The inside of the Leaky Cauldron was just as it would be in the future. Harry knew that it was a Wizarding thing. With long lives and the belief that things worked perfectly as they were, no one hardly saw a reason to change how things were around them.

But that stubbornness worked well for Harry. With a few changes, he would be less likely to make blunders, as long as he stayed away from politics and Muggles.

Mustering up a smile, Harry headed straight for the counter where a still young and alive Tom stood behind, though the goatee he had growing made Harry take a second look before he was sure that it indeed was Tom. "Good evening lads. I don't believe I've seen the two of you around here before." Tom put down the glass he had been polishing, and Harry realising that he was expecting an answer to the unspoken question he had not really asked.

"Harry Grey, and this is Teddy." His godson peeked at Tom before burrowing his face back into Harry's shoulder, the hair turning bright pink as if needing to tell the whole world that he was shy. With all that had happened, Harry was thankful that Teddy wasn't screaming bloody murder.

Belatedly Harry realised that he had forgotten to use the first name Malfoy had provided him with. Inwardly shrugging, Harry decided that it couldn't be all that different from when Ron usually presented himself with the shortened version of Ronald.

Or, he would do, once he had been born, learned to speak and all that.

"Will the mother be joining you later?" Tom asked, breaking through Harry's thoughts before he could mull more over the fact that his two best friends had yet to be born.

"My wife died recently." Harry answered bluntly. Ginny had been like a mother to Teddy, he would just let Tom make his own assumption from that statement. Rumours would no doubt spread, after all these people liked nothing more than tragic gossip. But few would question what he was doing with a young child if they knew he had been widowed.

Tom looked like he greatly regretted opening his mouth. "My condolences Mr Grey. A room for two, or do you prefer a single bed?"

With how Teddy clung to him, Harry knew the answer to that, besides they hadn't slept separately since leaving their home. "A single bed will be best." He gestured to Teddy with his free hand, still warm from the flames inside him that longed to be set free again.

"Of course, you can have room 17, it will be one Sickle and seven Knuts." Harry didn't protest as he exchanged the coins for a key. Either the rooms were a lot cheaper than they would be in the future, or Tom felt bad about bringing up Ginny's death in front of what he thought to be their child.

"Thank you and goodnight."

Walking up the wooden staircase, Harry found room seventeen at the very end, meaning they would hardly be disturbed by other people's coming and going.

The inside of the room was just as pleasant as Harry remembered it to be. A crackling fire made Harry stay far away from the grate. He might be able to produce fire on his own, but it also meant that he was well aware of how dangerous it could be. What he had done tonight was only a small show of what he was capable of doing.

Harry shed them both of their robes and placed his wand and Invisibility Cloak on the bedside-table within reach of the comfortable bed. "Okay, pup, it's sleepy time." He singsonged, pausing when he found Teddy pouting at him rather than giggling like he normally did when Harry used that voice.

"But Hawwy, I just napped!" The child protested, his hair turning brown.

Harry ran a hand over his face. Of course, he had almost forgotten that Teddy had slept through a good part of their trip to Knockturn Alley. Just because of the time difference, he wouldn't be able to make Teddy go to sleep for the next few hours.

Sitting down at the edge of the bed Harry smiled at Teddy. "Then how about we play a few more games?" Harry knew that he would be tired come tomorrow, but when Teddy's hair turned from brown to an electrical blue, Harry knew that he had made the right choice.

The loss of a night's sleep was worth it if it meant Teddy would be happy.

**)00(**

**Elementals: individuals able to control one of the four elements. Because of this power they were hunted, either to be killed or used. They had been declared extinct since the last one died back in 1581 where a-**

Voldemort placed the book aside, deciding that it was an absolutely waste of his time. If Elementals were extinct, he was better of learning more about one of the other races he planned to court for his cause such as the vampires. He wanted more than the few dregs he had managed to pick up, but so far the leader of the vampires had refused his every attempt on arranging a meeting between them.

But to have some Elementals, or just a single one, within his ranks! He had read that the Dark Lord before Grindelwald had had one among his ranks, an Air Elemental if he remembered correctly. But the fool had gotten overconfident, ending up getting his Elemental killed and thus losing the war.

Personally, Voldemort could not see himself committing such a grave mistake. He wanted an Elemental, but he would never rely solely on one other person. Elementals were humans, and therefore prone to make mistakes like everyone else.

But all the things he could do with just one of those by his side!

"My Lord, the vampire, Wanda Melton, seeks your audience." Theodore Nott, like all first born sons in the Nott line were named, stood in the doorway to the library. Just out of Hogwarts he had taken the young man into his ranks after his father had been felled in a raid. So far the young Pureblood had done nothing to make him regret that decision.

"Show her inside, Theodore." Already before he had finished speaking, Wanda was next to Nott. She was one of the few stray vampires he had managed to court to his cause. Being bitten, and not even by a born vampire, she and her brother were considered lowlifes among vampires, also because they made no attempt to control their bloodlust, making both her and her brother unpredictable and dangerous.

Speaking of her brother, Voldemort was sure that this was the first time he saw one without the other.

His interest peaked, Voldemort took his sweet time simply looking at the woman, and Theodore had already left, sensing his Lord's silent dismissal.

"What has happened to you, Miss Melton?" He asked, gesturing for her to step closer, it was polite and at the same time it gave him a chance to look at her.

The vampire was one of those women who could turn a man's head as she walked past them, and she knew that. Tonight Voldemort saw nothing of that beauty. Her dress had burnt marks and holes, part of her long red hair looked like it had been burnt off. She had smudges of red on her face, no doubt this blood was from some unlucky food source she had sucked dry to kick start the healing of the wounds and burn marks littering her body.

Whoever had done this had to be quite powerful. Short of Fiendfire, Voldemort could think of no spell that would leave those marks on a vampire, and she would not be alive right now if she had been hit by that spell.

How fascinating.

Wanda glided in, trying to look like her old self. When she sat down on the edge of the chair across from his, Voldemort realised that some of the blood were tracks of the vampire's tears. "Clemens is dead." It took him a moment to recall who Clemens was, but it explained why the brother was not lurking around in the shadows.

"Explain what happened." He demanded, paying the vampire his full attention. Had they run into some of Albus' supporters? The Order of the Phoenix was giving him enough trouble as it were; he did not need them to kill his followers on sight. It could also have been someone from the Ministry, in that case he would have Abraxas tighten his hold. Several of the Heads of Departments only had their positions thanks to donations from the head of the Malfoy family, they would hardly want his support to end.

The way Wanda squirmed in her seat and avoided his gaze caught his attention. "Tell me." It was rare that he had to demand something twice, and it never happened a third time.

"Me and Clemens were out looking for some fun when we caught this horrid smell." The grimace she made did her features no favour. "Anyway, it was just a little one, no pack around to look after it." At this Voldemort got an apprehensive feeling. He had specifically told his followers to stay away from any werewolves that crossed their parts until he had finished the negotiating with the alphas. Of course he knew that werewolves and vampires did not mix well, but he had hoped that the siblings would show some self-restraint for once.

"He was carried by some cloaked, green eyed freak. But at that time we thought he was just another wizard stupid enough to take a stroll down Knockturn Alley after the dark. It wasn't even him we wanted, but the child." She said, clearly not understanding why anyone might have a problem with that. Then again, Wanda had been turned before she could have a child, so she would never understand a parent's need to protect a child.

"He acted unusual for a mortal. There was no crying, begging for his life or screaming. Instead he told that child of his that they would be playing a game. So when the kid was counting, we struck, and he killed Clemens in one move. If I had been any closer, I would have been struck with the full force of those flames. As soon as I had confirmed Clemens was dead and had fed, I came here, m'lord." She looked at him through her eyelashes, waiting for him to praise her for bringing him the news directly, and promise her revenge for her brother's death, no doubt.

Voldemort folded his hands in his lap, watching her calmly. "This man, what kind of spell did he use?" This might be the solution to his little vampire problem. If he could learn the spell it would grant him a meeting with the vampire's king, and at that point he would be able to talk his way to what he wanted.

"There was no spell, he just moved his arm and flames sprung out from it, consuming Clemens and setting the whole place on fire. Then he proceeded to walk right through it as if he could not feel the heat." Listening to her explanation, Voldemort found his eyes wandering to the book he had just disregarded. It seemed like a strange coincidence that he would read about Elementals, only to be informed about a man who could apparently create fire out of nothing.

He had never been a believer of coincidences, but perhaps the book was mistaken about the status of the Elementals. It made sense for them to go into hiding to avoid being persecuted and used for other's amusement.

And for one to show up right underneath his nose. "Do you have anything that can lead me to him?" A frown formed on his face when Wanda squirmed under his gaze.

"Well, he was wearing a cloak the whole time. But he was a tad on the short side and slender, I think. And, just when he started throwing fire his eyes glowed really creepy green, like that death spell of yours. The child had blond hair, and eyes like him, but they didn't glow and he stunk." She scrunched up her nose at the memory.

Voldemort leaned back in the chair. This gave him basically nothing to work with. Anyone could fit the description of the man, although the glowing eyes were uncommon it could be caused by a spell. No, if he wanted to locate this possible Elemental, he would have to find the child. Not many had that combination of hair and eye colour. And if he was a werewolf if lessened the possibilities even further.

Already planning how he could limit the search, Voldemort turned his attention to the vampire seated in front of him. Something needed to be done with her, after losing her brother, Wanda would be out for blood, he would not risk her upsetting a potential ally. "I will deal with this personally." Voldemort watched her turn gleeful, bored at how easy she fell for his words. After all, he had said nothing about how he intended to deal with this. "Meanwhile, I have an important task for you."

"Anything for you M'lord. Just say the word and it'll be done-"

Voldemort held up a hand, halting her stream of words. "I want you to create contact with other vampires. Get so deep into their community as possible and bring me as much information about them as you can. The closer you come to their king, the bigger your reward will be." His words set her eyes alight. Standing and curtsying deeply, she was out of the room faster than the eye could follow.

"My Lord, is it a wise decision?" From between the bookshelves Abraxas stepped forth, the Pureblood lord carrying a few books he had set out to find. "She will most likely mess up all your efforts."

Voldemort waved Abraxas' worries away while gesturing for Abraxas to take the seat the vampire had just vacated. "Nothing that cannot be salivated." At worst she would be discovered as a spy and then he would not have to worry about killing her himself. "What do you think of what she told?" It never hurt to get a second opinion, and the Malfoy was nothing if not a realist.

"It must have been something powerful to kill a vampire so easily, unless she was lying about the whole thing. Perhaps she killed her own brother and simply did not want to take the blame for it." Unlikely, given how much the siblings had depended on each other.

"And if she was speaking the truth?"

Abraxas was quiet for a while, considering the question. "It reminds me of a tale my mother used to tell me before bedtime. About people with the power over the elements. But they are said to be extinct." So, he was not the only one to reach that conclusion. It might be worth looking into. He would hate for Dumbledore, or anyone else, to take the Elemental because he dismissed it as a simple rumour.

"How is young Lucius doing?" He asked, knowing that the change of subject was far from subtle.

"He finishes his last exam in five days, but believes that he has done well. I believe we will see once I receive his grades. If he has done well, I have promised him a broom of his own choice. That ought to motivate him to do well." Abraxas spoke with no less than pride as he spoke of his son and only child. "However, that boy he enjoys hanging out with has been sent home by the Headmaster. Apparently, his blood traitor of a mother has died, so he is home with his father to have peace to grieve."

Eileen Prince, if he remembered correctly. She had been in the same house as them in Hogwarts, but a few years above. She had been disowned, despite being an only child, the moment she had announced her intention to marry a Muggle. "The boy has inherited his mother's skills in Potions, yes?" At Abraxas' nod, Voldemort smirked. "Encourage Lucius to deepen his connection to the boy at the next opportunity. It would be truly tragic to see such a talent waste away."

Knowing that his command would be followed, Voldemort decided that the conversation was over. Voldemort picked the disregarded book up and started reading it from the beginning. If there really was an Elemental out there, he would be fully prepared for it.

Either it would become his, or he would personally ensure that it never got the chance to oppose him.

**I hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully I will see you next week**


	2. The first

**Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.**

**Warnings: This story will have slash, violence**

**Beta: Angelhitomie and Miss888**

Malfoy had actually managed to send them to the past. The whole way back to 1974. It was still June the ninth, so they were following the normal timeline, just twenty-eight years back in time.

When he had been awoken this morning by an energetic Teddy, he had been ready to dismiss it all as a very strange dream. However, after moving downstairs and getting his hands on today's Daily Prophet, Harry could no longer deny it.

Everything he knew he could possibly stop would be years away, into the future. He would have plenty of time to decide what to do and plan the how's.

But first, he would have to figure out what he would do in the present.

He couldn't go back to being an Auror. As much as he had loved the excitement and helping people, it was too dangerous now that he was the sole guardian of Teddy. If something happened to him, Teddy would suffer the consequences.

Problem was Harry couldn't think of anything else he might be good at, other than Quidditch. And travelling around the world with a small child was troublesome, and it would draw unwanted attention to them.

"What a lovely ring you have got there, is it a family heirloom?" Realizing that they were no longer alone by their table, Harry twisted slightly, shielding the ring. A girl, most likely fresh out of Hogwarts had snuck up on them without him noticing. Her eyes were on the ring, Harry had been turning along his finger.

"No, it was my wife's. I gave it to her when I proposed." And now it was the only memento he had left of Ginny that had survived the fire. Harry held up his hand with the ring so the waitress could better see it. Perhaps it was not as extravagant as the jewellery the Pureblood women wore, but Ginny had loved it, even before she had known how many hours Harry had spent on perfecting it.

The ring itself was of pure gold, which he had braided and he had twisted into tiny braids until it looked like a lot of tiny pieces put together. As finishing touch he had added rubies and blue diamonds. He had made several attempts before this one. To Harry, it was not only a proof of the love shared between Ginny and himself but also that the fire he produced could be used for something else than harming people.

"You gotta tell me where you bought this one it is simply lovely. My boyfriend Jeffrey hasn't proposed to me yet, but when he does I hope it will be something just as pretty as this one." Her words made Harry thoughtful. It had been years since he had made this one, but with a little practice he should be able to make better ones.

Perhaps, even good enough to make a living out of it. The money he had now would not keep them going forever.

"You're bloo-" Remembering whom was seated across from him, Harry cut himself off. "You know what, if your boyfriend ever chooses to propose to you, I will make one for you for free." By the way her face lit up, Harry had a feeling that there would be a wedding in the near future.

"Thank you, thank you. I've got to tell it to Jeffrey. Oh, before I forget it, here is your breakfast." Harry smiled as she nearly spilled the food in her hurry to get in contact with this Jeffrey. Ah young love!

And Merlin, it made him feel old thinking like that.

"Women awe weiwd." Having said his piece Teddy tore into his bacon much like a wolf would.

Smiling at his godson's antics, Harry started with his own meal in a slower manner. "True." But it would be this weirdness that would allow them to have a comfortable living, he hoped. Already, he was trying to figure out where to start, there was so much that needed to be done. Luckily, they would be able to start right away.

After breakfast had been eaten and paid for, Tom had been eyeing him with strange looks which might have something to do with the way the waitress having run off after talking to Harry, they set off towards Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

This early there were not many people out and about, Harry could not help feeling tense as he passed the opening to Knockturn Alley. He didn't pause, but in a passing look he was unable to see the sidewalk they had been attacked in. But a burnt smell lingered in the air and made him duck his head and hurry along.

As he carried Teddy, Harry could feel Teddy shake in his arms. It probably wasn't such a good idea to allow Teddy the side dish of pancakes with whipped cream, but how was he supposed to say no when his godson had sweetly asked?

Unfortunately, he couldn't allow Teddy to run wild just yet, since he had already entered the entrance to the bank.

The cool air inside made Harry grit his teeth. He really wasn't a fan of cold places. Low temperatures and him did not get along well.

Head held high and after taking a calming breath, Harry headed for a free counter. "Excuse me." The goblin behind the counter completely ignored his attempt to make contact. Harry had to take another deep breath. If he lit this place on fire, it would probably have the same aftermath as the dragon incident. And currently Harry didn't have any money to waste on hiring a lawyer each time he wanted something from the goblins. "I have a proposition for a business deal."

Beady, black eyes nailed him in place. "Indeed?"

"Yes, but I think it is in our mutual benefit if we discuss this in private." He shut his mouth, determined not to say more before he got his way.

"Come with me." The goblin jumped down from the high chair he had been occupying. Harry hoisted Teddy higher up before following through a plain looking door.

It was a small, well used office with no windows. The light came from a chandelier too big to be originally intended to be used in there. The goblin had already taken his seat and Harry saw it as a sign for him to sit down too. He wiped a sweaty palm on his robe, regretting that he hadn't done something about his appearance before he had showed up. However, he had no other robes to change into and Harry had yet to find something that worked on the bird nest that was his hair.

"What is your proposition, wizard?" The goblin's sharp voice cut through Harry's circling thoughts.

"Is it true that goblins have the authority over money and gems?" He remembered hearing something about this in History of Magic, but would rather make certain that he was not acting on uncertain knowledge.

The goblin sneered. "Of course, if someone has claimed otherwise, they are liars and will be dealt with thus." The goblin spat out something that wasn't possible to say in human tongue.

So he hadn't made a mistake in getting here. It would have been bothersome if the goblin had not been the ones he was looking for. "What is your opinion of this?" Gently he placed Ginny's ring on the middle of the desk between them. He didn't like to let go of it, but it was the only thing he had to show off currently.

The ring was picked up carefully, almost as if the goblin understood the personal value the ring had to Harry. It was held close to the goblin's eye and turned so every detail could be inspected. "A good quality. Interesting, I do not recognise the maker."

"It would be because it is the only existing one I have made." There was no reason to explain why he had made it. Harry still couldn't help the soft smile that graced his as he recalled the memory of when he gave the ring to Ginny. It had made a damn good Patronus in one of his Auror days. He doubted he would get the same results if he tried to use the memory today.

"Will you show me how you did it?" The sudden politeness had Harry stomping down his eagerness he knew he could not allow himself to be overwhelmed by. But it was promising considering how he had been treated so far.

"Of course." He placed Teddy on his feet, catching the boy's attention before he could run off to explore the many things in the room. "Don't touch anything. We can go for ice cream afterwards." It was adorable when Teddy nodded gravely and stepped away to give Harry some necessary space. Still, even with the promise of sweets, Teddy would only keep still for so long.

Deciding that his godson was at a safe distance if something went wrong, Harry retrieved a Galleon and set at work, holding his hands so the goblin could follow the process.

Letting the flames out and run wild like he had last night was hardly a task for Harry. The heat was constantly moving under his skin, eagerly waiting to be set free so it could destroy everything on its path.

It was much harder, when he only wanted to let a small part of it out. Sweat formed on his brow as Harry focussed on not letting the whole thing come forth. He doubted that the goblin would appreciate it if he burned down the office. That actually seemed unlikely to happen, since the goblins had dragons guarding the vaults. They probably had all kinds of protective measures like wards up to prevent such incidents.

It was just a shame that those wards would probably be useless against the fire he could produce.

Ever so slowly his hands got so warm that the coin was mouldable between his fingers and Harry started working. Inside his mind he had a mental picture of what he hoped would be the end result. Since he had no tools to work with but his hands, he would make one of the earlier designs for the ring he had planned for Ginny, just without any stones in it. With how shifty the goblin was looking as the gold started to melt, Harry knew it would be a bad idea to ask for any gems to work with.

Smoothing the inside of the ring so there would be no sharp edges protruding to cut a finger on, Harry decided that he was done. Letting his hands and the ring cool of, Harry took the time to look over what he had made. The ring was braided, much like Ginny's, but instead of gems he had made some flower heads, though even he couldn't say exactly what kind it was. Considering how short time it had taken him to make it, Harry considered it a job well done.

Unsure if the ring had cooled of enough, Harry handed the ring over when the goblin held his hand out for it. If the ring was still warm, the goblin showed no sign of discomfort as he held it close to the eye for inspection. Harry tried moving his fingers discretely. Cutting off the flames always left him feeling uncomfortable but it would go away soon enough.

"Most interesting, it has been a long time since I have witnessed work like this." The words made Harry wonder exactly how longs the lifespan of the goblins were, for some reason they had never covered that in any of his classes. But Harry guessed that they probably had long lives, which might also explain why goblins seemed so good at holding grudges.

At last the ring was placed next to Ginny's, and Harry found himself under the goblin's scrutiny. "Allow me to be forward, but are you an Elemental? Anything said in this office will go no further." At the gurantee Harry felt some of the tenseness leave his body. So, at least he wouldn't have to worry about the Aurors or Unspeakables showing up because of something he had said and done.

"No, I'm a hybrid, of sorts." That was the closest explanation Hermione had been able to give when they realised that he wasn't exactly like other wizards, once again. It seemed rather like the story of his life at this point.

Sensing that he would get no better explanation, the goblin changed the subject. "And what is this proposal you spoke of?"

Knowing that he could not turn away now only made Harry nervous. "I plan on selling the things I make." He had seen no jewellery shop on his way here, which made Harry wonder where people got their jewellery from. It couldn't all be inherited, and even that stuff had to come from somewhere. "For that I need a shop and somewhere to live, the latter preferably far away from other people. In return, Gringotts will get a percentage of the shop's income, and my flames will be at your service, as long as it does not put Teddy in danger."

"Fifty percent of your income, and Gringotts will be able to call you whenever we need you."

"I have a growing child, ten percent of the income, and you can call upon me if it's something your dragons can't take care of." Harry bid back. The goblin's hardly kept the dragons around only to guard things.

In the end the goblin smashed a fist on the table, making both wizards jump in surprise. "Twenty-four point two percent of your yearly income. You will get a shop and a house with land in privacy. You'll be called when Gringotts or one of our clientele is in need of your services, in return we will keep your identity secret, and should the need arise, the goblins will protect you and your family, as long as it does not go against our policy and interests."

"Deal." It was a far better agreement than Harry had dared to hope for when he had walked into the bank.

Harry signed the contract with the name Malfoy had provided him with, he signed several documents, not sure why they could not just make copies of the first one he had signed. By the time he was done, Harry's fingers were sore, and Teddy, who had returned to his lap, was squirming impatiently. "I am Harry Grey, and this is my godson Teddy." Harry introduced them, having realised that he had completely forgotten about doing so before starting to bargain with the goblin.

Hearing his name, Teddy perked up, his eyes turning black when they met the goblin's. "I'm fouw." The child announced, holding up a handful of fingers for them all to see. Rolling his eyes, Harry reached around Teddy and bent one of his fingers so he was showing the correct amount.

"Four is a very mature age to be. I am called Ragnok the Bloodier, and I am four hundred and thirty-nine." That at least answered his musings about a goblin's lifespan.

Harry didn't need to look at Teddy to know that his eyes were wide. "You'we old." He declared with a child's bluntness. Harry just thanked his lucky stars that Teddy did not ask where Ragnok had gotten the name from, and the goblin did not seem to take insult in the statement

"You will receive an owl once the paperwork has gone through, until then I am sure you will be suitably busy for the opening of your new shop, Mr Grey." Nodding back, Harry left the office with Teddy in tow.

However, they had barely stepped out of the bank, before Teddy decided that he had been good enough for today. "Hawwy, ice cweam!" Teddy whined, flailing about so Harry almost lost his hold on him. By now there were more people out, and Harry received more than his fair share of disapproving glances for the way Teddy was behaving.

Completely ignoring them all, Harry laughed. To see Teddy act so lively and childish was like a breath of fresh air to him. Always hiding and on the run had left Teddy with hardly any opportunity to act his age since Ginny and Andromeda had been murdered. It made it easier for Harry to believe that everything was going to be okay. "Yes, I believe, I promised you some ice cream." He relented, making Teddy whoop with joy as his hair changed colour too fast for Harry to follow until it settled to match his own.

It was rather strange to step inside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and find Fortescue behind the counter, already serving a long line of customers. The man had been killed under Voldemort's regime, and someone else had taken over the shop once the war was over.

"What can I do for the two of you?" The line had moved pretty much without Harry noticing it, and it was already their turn.

"One scoop of chocolate ice cream, each please." Harry ordered. If there was one thing Remus had taught him, it was that chocolate could fix almost anything. And Teddy had taken to the belief without too much encouragement from Harry.

After getting their ice creams, Harry found a free table outside where they could enjoy the sun. At this point none of them could risk getting cold.

Teddy dug in with gusto despite the large breakfast he had wolfed down not too long ago. "There was another attack last night." Harry stopped himself from showing any sign of listening in on the conversation from their neighbouring table.

"Yeah, You-Know-Who has gotten bolder. I heard that the whole family was killed and left floating in the front garden for all to see. And the only reason the Aurors believe he is behind the attack is because they supported that bill. Without the Hershell family, Headmaster Dumbledore has lost important support in the Ministry." Seeing that Teddy was almost done with his ice cream, Harry pushed his own mostly untouched one over to the boy. He could let Teddy run off the sugar rush afterwards.

"I tell you, it's getting rather like when Grindelwald was around. Soon enough it is not safe to go out after dark, and you will not be able to trust anyone. Personally, I'm keeping an eye on my neighbour; their oldest son is definitely up to no good." As the conversation turned into whether there was something weird about the disappearance of the neighbour's cat, Harry tuned them out.

As strange as it might sound, Harry had forgotten that Voldemort was alive and at large in this time. It posed a while set of new problems that Harry hadn't even thought about. He knew about the Horcruxes, and was probably the only one besides Voldemort who did, but he would not go after them alone. It was too risky when he had Teddy to think about.

Dumbledore was a possibility, he supposed. The problem was that Dumbledore had no reason to trust him, and Harry was not fond of the idea of telling where he had the knowledge from. And who knew how many Horcruxes Voldemort had already made, or where he had hidden them away?

It was something he could ponder on later, when there was nothing to distract him, and he hopefully knew something more. He had a few years before something of major importance would happen, he had time to plan.

"Hawwy, all done!" Teddy proclaimed, and his godson had indeed finished off both ice creams while Harry's thoughts had been elsewhere. And half of the ice cream seemed to have missed the mouth in Teddy's eagerness to eat it.

"Indeed, well done Teddy." Harry praised, grabbing a napkin and cleaning Teddy's face. "Now, how about we take a look around?" They might find their shop before Ragnok got back to them.

Teddy shot off as soon as his feet touched the ground, and Harry followed, not allowing his godson to slip from his sight even for a moment. All thoughts about Dark Lords, Dumbledore and Horcruxes slipped from his mind for the time being. As long as Teddy was safe and happy, the whole world could burn for all Harry cared.

**)00(**

The falling darkness had driven even the most tenacious graveyard visitors away. By now they were probably at home, enjoying a warm meal while being with family and friends.

He hunched a little more at the thought. How long until Tobias was let out from work? There was no dinner waiting for him back in that house, and Severus knew better than to try and make some on his own. Despite his talents in Potions, he was an absolute disaster in the kitchen, something his mother had often laughed about.

Scowling, Severus kept his dark gaze at the grave right in front of him. Well, it was across the path, and he was among some shrubs and young trees, but Severus still counted it as being in front of the grave. He was by no means hiding; rather he was ensuring that no one could see him and thus disturb him in his time of grief.

He still could not believe that she had died; the funeral had already been over when he had been sent home from school. It simply seemed so unreal. Each morning he came down, expecting to see her by the stove, only to find an empty kitchen. Or when he had a thought about something Potions related and turned to tell her, only to remember that she was no longer there.

It was so unfair. Black and Potter had everything, why couldn't it be one of them whom lost their mother? Given how wealthy they were, they would have probably found a cure for cancer, kept their mothers and it would not even have made a dent in their vast fortunes.

Severus' train of depressing thoughts halted when he realised that he was no longer alone in his part of the small graveyard.

"Hawwy, how much longew?" The voice belonged to a young child, a boy if judging by what of his appearance Severus was able to see. He was hanging onto the adults arm, swinging himself around with every other step. With big, dark sunglasses and a too big hat, nothing but his nose and mouth were visible. He was probably a spoiled child whom had been allowed to dress himself.

Severus found his attention drawn to the man. Despite the warm weather, nothing but his hands and head was visible; every inch of the rest of his body was covered by black clothes. The bird nest that he tried to pass for his hair would probably send Lucius into a fit if he ever saw it. At first glance, Severus had been sure that Potter had escaped from school, kidnapped a child, found out where he lived, and was now trying to pass the blame onto him. But as the pair came closer, Severus became aware of the differences between Potter and this person.

First of all, the male was definitely older than Potter, somewhere around his late teens or early twenties. And despite the shared hair style, Potter had dark brown hair, Severus noticed that this stranger had a mix of red and black that looked natural as the pair passed under a street light. The biggest difference, however, was the eyes. Potter had brown eyes that were normally hidden behind thick, round glasses. This man had green eyes, remarkably much like Lily's, but there were no glasses to obscure his view of them.

It was like seeing what the lovechild of Potter and Lily would look like, and that thought would probably give him nightmares for a long time to come.

"Soon Teddy, we have to make sure that we aren't seen." The man spoke as if he had heard the question a numerous amount of times and had yet to lose his patience with the child. The pair stepped right in front of his hiding spot. "Oh, I didn't know it had happened already." The man, Hawwy the child had called him, what a strange name, kneeled down in front of his mother's grave. Though curious, Severus did not move from his spot. As far as he knew, his mother had only had a handful of friends, and none of them had kept the contact once she had moved to the Muggle world.

"Hawwy, who's that?" The boy, Teddy, spoke up. The man turned to look at him, allowing Severus to see a glimse of his face. He had a strange scar, vagually looking like a lightning bolt, on his forehead. Why did he look so sad? Maybe he really had known his mother, he had spoken as if he knew she would die, perhaps his mother had contacted him when she knew she was sick. It seemed unlikely, but Severus could not write off the possibility.

"Like Ginny?"

"I bet they are all in Heaven together, playing Quidditch and brewing potions." Severus almost smiled. No matter how naive the man's words sounded, he rather liked the idea of what he'd heard.

Bells chimed, startling Severus. He had spent far more time here than he had intended to. He had to go back right away. With that in mind Severus jumped up and ran.

"Hey you, wait!"

Ignoring the call from behind him, Severus continued running. If he was lucky, he could reach his room in time and lock the door before Tobias came home. Sometimes Tobias would be late coming back from work. Mostly because he made a stop on a bar somewhere along the way, and he would stink of alcohol once he came back.

It was a good thing he had to dress like a Muggle here, his school robes would have been caught in all the things he passed on his way. Severus breathed out in relief upon reaching Spinner's End and finding it just as dark as he had left it. He slowed down in front of the house; a discreet look showed him that he had not been followed as far as he could see. In fact, there was no one on the street but him. In this area most of the houses needed a loving hand, and his was no different. The paint was peeling off, the fence needed to be repaired and he should probably try and dig out a lawnmower from somewhere before the garden grew completely out of control. None of the plants or herbs his mother had cared for were to be found anywhere; the weeds had killed them before he got back from school. Just like mother had died before he could say goodbye.

Finding the reserve key in the nook it was usually hidden in, Severus let himself inside, glad that he had made it to safety. He would have liked to find out how the man had known his mother, but it seemed unlikely that they would meet again. Disregarding the thought as unimportant, Severus turned away from the door, he better get to his room before Tobias got home.

A fist caught him by the jaw, sending Severus crashing into a wall as he tried to stop the stars from dancing in front of his eyes. "You're late boy!"

Severus wanted to close his eyes and groan. Tobias was already there, and, by the smell of it, he had had plenty of time to get drunk.

"Tobias-" Another hit to the head was all Severus got out of his efforts to calm Tobias down. This time Severus stumbled before he fell. He was well aware that it put him in a vulnerable position and tried to scramble to his feet, but a swift kick from Tobias knocked the air out of him and sent him sprawling to the floor again. Judging by the pain blooming in his side, Tobias was still wearing his working boots, so Severus should count himself lucky if he did not break any bones.

When the second kick landed, Severus knew he needed all his luck if he were to stay alive.

"Wha- kinda son calls his old man by his name. I be' ya didnie even cry when hearing that mommy dearest was dead. No one is here to protect you now and by the name of God, I'll make sure that ya don't return ta that madhouse!" Severus regretted his position even more as Tobias hovered over him, kicking in time with the words.

"I think that is quite enough." Severus was sure he had imagined the voice, but when no more attacks came, he shifted slightly, trying to look up and felt pain shot through his body.

It was the pair from the graveyard. Teddy was half hidden behind Hawwy's legs, watching the fallen teenager as if he was the most fascinating thing the child had ever seen. The child waved shyly at him before pointing upwards, and Severus found his gaze following the direction without any thought, craning his neck so he could better see.

Tobias was being held by the throat by the much smaller man. The stranger looked eerily calm while Tobias was getting rather red faced. "How did ya get in here, freak!?" Severus was wondering about the same thing. He was lying in front of the front door, so they could not have come through that way. But being a wizard it was hardly a hindrance for the man. He might personally be too young to learn it, but it did not mean he was unaware of such thing as Apparition. And he had been so focussed on Tobias' attack that he therefore missed the noise that announced their arrival.

"I would appreciate it, if you did not use that kind of language in front of minors, they are easily swayed." The man changed his position slightly, allowing Severus to see the wand he held at Tobias' throat, probably the only reason why Tobias had stopped his attacks. On their wedding day, mother had promised that she would never use any kind of magic on Tobias, the only reason to why her husband had been able to act the way he had. "Severus, if you are able to, please take Teddy to your room and pack whatever you want to take with you." When failing to reply, Severus found Lily's eyes on him, only those seemed to glow. "I promise, you won't have to come back here if you don't want to."

Somehow with the way it was said helped Severus to move. Slowly, and painfully aware of Tobias' dark glare, Severus got up. No one mentioned it if he leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to get his breath back. Teddy had already let go of Hawwy's leg and was now waiting for Severus, staying out of Tobias' reach.

Severus did not hesitate, when he felt it was safe enough for him to move. Between staying here or leaving, at least temporarily, it was not a hard choice for him to make. Taking the child's hand, he had a feeling that what would happen between the two adults was not something this young one should see, Severus guided Teddy upstairs.

"I'm Teddy, and I'm fouw." The child announced as they were standing outside the door to his room. Severus felt a pull at his sleeve, causing him to look down. "You'we supposed to say youw name now."

The determined eyes did not even blink as Teddy waited. Somewhere between the graveyard and here the child had lost his sunglasses and hat. He had the same hair and eyes as the man downstairs; perhaps they were father and son? "Severus Snape." He relented, if only to make Teddy stop staring at him like that.

"I like you!" Teddy exclaimed his eyes and hair turning black like Severus'.

Surprised by the sight, Severus opened the door, suddenly understanding the reason behind the child's dress up. What was this Hawwy thinking, letting a Metamorphmagus out among Muggles? From what Severus had read, they did not gain control over their shifting before they turned eleven and got their first wand. The man risked exposing the Wizarding World to the Muggles with his careless antics.

"That man you are with, is he your father?" If so, he too might be a Metamorphmagus, and it could explain the hair and why he looked so much like Lily and Potter.

"Dad and mom awe dead. Hawwy is Hawwy." Teddy said before pushing his way inside, eager to explore the room, and Severus followed after him with a frown. Teddy had answered his question, but it told him nothing about the man coming to his rescue. For all Severus knew, he was letting a serial killer take him away. If his heart ended in up a glass jar on someone's shelf, he was so coming back as a ghost to haunt Potter and Black.

His room was woefully bare and the things there were second-hand at best. But Teddy seemed not to care as he ran from one end to another to 'Oh' over something just to move somewhere else and repeat the process.

Keeping an eye on the child, Severus pulled his trunk out from under the bed. He had nothing of value standing left in room where curious fingers could reach them, but he would rather not let the child come to harm under his watch. Since he had seen no reason to unpack, most of his belongings were still in his trunk, and it did not take long for him to pack the rest of it. Was there anything else he needed?

Severus stood, wanting to smack himself for forgetting. "Stay here." He ordered, leaving the room when he had heard Teddy's response. Hopefully, Teddy would be able to follow this single command. He would rather not cross this Hawwy within the first hour of meeting him, not as long as the man seemed interested in helping him.

He heard no sound from downstairs on his way to his mother and Tobias' room. But since one of them was a wizard, the silence meant nothing. If the spell was strong enough, a bomb could blow up down there, and he would not notice it before he was already dead.

Under his parents' bed, surrounded by the bottles Tobias hid there when they were empty, Severus found what he had been looking for. It was a small chest of oak and with pictures from Wizarding fairy tales engraved into the wood. Mother had used it when she had told him those tales as a child. Although he had never been allowed to look into it, he knew the chest contained things from her childhood home.

There was no way he could leave such a treasure in a place like this, so with the chest tucked under his arm, he returned to his room, only to stop in the doorway.

"Sowwy." Apparently, it had been a mistake to leave Teddy unwatched, even for such a short amount of time. Severus found it hard to believe that he was looking at his room.

All the furniture had been overturned and stuck to the ceiling. The walls, floor and the ceiling had been turned black with glowing swirls in neon colours. If this was accidental magic, how had his mother covered his own up without using her wand? On the other hand, Severus doubted that he had ever done something like this. From what he had been told, he had been more the kind of child that had summoned objects that had been out of his reach.

At least the trunk was right where he had left it, with a teary-eyed Teddy standing next to it.

Almost on its own, Severus' hand found Teddy's now brown hair and ruffled it. "You have done well." It would be a suitable reminder for Tobias what magic was capable of. And no one would believe him, if he attempted to tell anyone of how this had come to be. Tobias might even end locked up so he would no longer pose a threat to others. "Come, let us go." It was fascinating how quickly Teddy could forget all about the tears he had been about to shed. Were all children like this, or was this boy manipulative?

Downstairs, Severus found that the adults had moved to the living room. Tobias was seated in the sofa with Hawwy standing guard not far from him with crossed arms and his wand in plain view. Whatever had happened down here, it was clear that Tobias had not won with the sour expression he was wearing. And the smugness radiating from the other was also a pretty good hint.

He was sure that neither he nor Teddy had made a sound, and yet, when they entered the room, Hawwy swirled around to face them with a beaming smile. "You're done already? Severus, if you want to say farewell, I suggest you do so. You won't be seeing him again, unless you want to."

The mere possibility of leaving this place lifted Severus' spirit, but it did not calm any of the concerns he had.

Aware that this would be the last time he saw Tobias if he had any say in it, Severus knew he could not leave without some parting words. He had dreamed about this day many times before, though in his imaginations, he would be seventeen and have his mother by his side. There was plenty he wanted to say, but not something he could say with a child and a stranger in the room. He would rather not risk being left behind because Hawwy did not approve of foul language in front of Teddy.

"You did not deserve my mother, Tobias." He spat out the name as if it was acid in his mouth. Hawwy must have made quite an impression, because despite how red faced Tobias got, not once did he attempt to leave the sofa. "I am ready to leave." Turning around, Severus found that Teddy had already been picked up, and Hawwy was holding an arm out for him, as if he was offering a comforting hug.

Ignoring the thought, Severus stepped as close as he could without actually touching the man. He would not deny being excited, though he made sure that none of it showed on his face. As long as he could remember, magic, even of the smallest kind, had been forbidden in this place. And now something undeniable magical would take place, and right in front of Tobias too.

Severus did not protest as the arm curled around him and pulled him against what was a surprisingly warm body. But instead of the tug the books had warned him against, a heat seemed to rise, something none of the books had mentioned anything about. As he closed his eyes, Severus saw a flicker of flames around their feet but wrote it off as a part of his imagination.

The flare of heat disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Severus felt cold air brush against his exposed skin, causing him to open his eyes and realise that they were no longer in Spinner's End. Severus guessed that they were nowhere near his old home, for he could not recall any trees this old being around the neighbourhood. Curious he looked around to get a better view of his surroundings, well aware that he was being watched by his rescuer. Well, kidnapper if one wanted to get technical, because Severus was sure that Tobias, as his legal guardian and sperm donor, had not given Hawwy permission to take him away.

They were surrounded by woodland; some of those trees were probably older than Headmaster Dumbledore himself. Spotting stars in the sky above them, Severus frowned. Either they had spent more time in Spinner's End than he had originally thought, or they were no longer in Great Britain. Either possibility was likely.

"Let us get inside, it's freezing cold." Severus raised an eyebrow at the man's grumbled comment. Granted, it was still June and thus the weather was not as warm as it would be later, but it was a far cry from being cold. And Hawwy was still generating a heat, though it did not seem as intense as before.

Just what kind of people had he allowed to sweep him away?

Despite his worries, Severus followed along when his fellow wizard started walking. With Hawwy's arm still around him, it was not like he had much of a choice in the matter. Sure, he could protest, but Severus was uncertain if this was a hallucination caused by too many hits to the head, even with the added weight of the trunk pulling at his sore muscles.

They had not been walking for long before Severus saw the house. With the way it suddenly appeared, Severus suspected that wards were involved. Were they close to Muggles, or was the man simply being cautious? Maybe he was a serial killer, and Severus was his next victim. He stored the thought away, aware of how ridiculous it sounded. What kind of killer brought a child along with him on a job?

Unless Teddy was a part of his cover and a killer in training.

Before he could properly panic at the thought, they were at the door and Severus found himself firmly but gentle pushed inside. Those robes hid Hawwy's strength rather well, though it was no real surprise with how he had manhandled Tobias.

He was greeted by a cosy heat, and Severus blinked when the light turned on without anyone doing something, trying to get his eyes used to the change. "I'll put Teddy to bed. Just wait in the kitchen and I will be down in a few moments." The man was already halfway up the stairs, wearing a gentle smile as he listened to Teddy's protests about not being tired at all as the child yawned.

This was his chance. If he wanted to leave, he should do so now while the man was otherwise occupied.

But Severus did not take a step towards the exit. Even if the door was not locked and he was not stopped by the wards, he would be facing a whole set of other problems. He had no inkling about his location, or how far from civilisation he was. And what stopped Hawwy from tracking him down, once the man realised that Severus was gone?

No, it was far better to stay and see what would happen. And if the man really was a serial killer, he would at least not have to deal with the Marauders or Tobias any longer. And he was sure that only Lily would shed some tears for him once she heard that he was gone.

Bullocks, he had completely forgotten about Lily. She would return from Hogwarts in two days, and she had promised to come over as soon as she was home. If he survived the night, Severus promised himself he would find a way to explain the situation to her. She would understand, he just needed to contact her before she heard about his disappearance.

Knowing that he could do nothing about it for now, Severus took off his shoes and trudged on, hopefully the kitchen would not be too hard to find. This was only a two story house, and not even a big one at that, Severus was fairly sure he would figure it out quickly.

Evidently wizards made their homes so visitors could easily get lost. Or he had merely met one who was paranoid and wanted no one but themselves to be able to find their way around.

**)00(**

Harry slumped back against the wall, feeling the engravings dig into his skin. What a mess this day had turned out to be. Hermione would probably point out that by now he should have learned that his impulses didn't lead to anything good, using Sirius' death as a leading example.

But after spending a little over a week in this time and not seeing a single familiar face, he had felt like he would go stir crazy if it continued like this. So he had picked Teddy up and had set out for the Muggle world. A rather daring move but no Muggle would think anything of it if a stranger showed up at their door and asked for directions, especially not when he was carrying a small child. If that house happened to belong to his maternal grandparents, then it was merely a coincidence that he had chosen it.

At least that was what he would have said if there had been anyone around to ask him.

Unfortunately neither of his grandparents been at home when he had knocked on the door. Instead he had found a younger Aunt Petunia with pimples. Harry was not ashamed to admit, that he, an almost fully trained Auror and defeater of Voldemort, had frozen completely upon seeing her. He had not counted on meeting either of the younger Evans since school was still supposed to be in session. Apparently he made a miscalculation somewhere.

Before the wizard could excuse himself or follow his original plan, Teddy had piped up a ´horseface´, and one look at the girl's face had told him it was best to make a quick exit.

He had been searching for a place away from Muggle eyes when he had recognised a name on one of the graves. Harry could not pin point what had made him follow after Snape when he had seen the young Potions professor run, but he was glad he did.

Fury welled up in him, when he recalled how vulnerable Snape had looked when he had lain on the floor, cowering from a man's attacks, Snape Sr if the nose was anything to go by. One thing he would never be able to turn a blind eye to, was someone harming a child, no matter the age or how much of an arse the child would be later on. It brought back memories from his time at Privet Drive number four; something Harry would rather have stayed forgotten.

Unfortunately, he couldn't punish Snape senior as he saw fit. At some point someone would notice that Snape was no longer at Spinner's End, and would investigate it. And Harry refused to let there be anything that could be used against him, and cause Snape to be place back there. He might not have liked the Potions professor, but this Snape was just a child.

So, Harry had made sure to scare the heck out of Snape Sr, the man had been quite cooperative after seeing a little of what Harry was capable of. Unfortunately, Harry hadn't been able to do anything lasting or really impressive in case someone should visit and take a look into the man's memories. He would prefer to keep his secrets and not end under an Unspeakable's knife.

Not to say what they would do to Teddy.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Harry knew, he needed to get a better grip on his emotions, unless he wanted to burn down another house, Ragnok would only be happy to find them a new one, for the right price of course.

But first he had to deal with the teenager downstairs, who would one day teach his alternative younger self Potions. Boy, if that wasn't confusing to think about.

Snape was in the kitchen, and not snooping around as Harry had half expected him to. That was what he'd done back when he had wanted answers, but at least he did not keep a Pensieve around for people to stumble into.

Snape was looking out of the window, though what he hoped to see, Harry had no idea about. Here in the middle of a forest, no human would be able to see anything without aid. But it provided Harry with the opportunity to watch Snape undisturbed.

Basically, Snape looked the same as he had in Harry's past, just younger, thinner and no worry lines from what Harry could see. But they had appeared once Snape started spying, and they would only get worse once he got himself two masters. To know how his childhood must have been like and how his adulthood would turn out, Harry felt bad for the kid. He had gotten Snape out of the house, now he just needed to figure out what to do with him.

"Sorry it took a while, Teddy can rarely sleep without a bedtime story." It was only a half-truth. Teddy absolutely refused to sleep unless Harry stayed until he could no longer keep his eyes open, and Harry passed the time telling stories. His godson feared that Harry would disappear like everyone else had, if he did not stay within view. The fact that Teddy had willingly followed Snape upstairs was nothing short of a miracle in Harry's opinion.

Snape showed no sign of surprise when he spoke up, and it made Harry wonder if he had been using the reflection in the window to watch when Harry came in without being obvious about it. The way Snape had placed himself left him with plenty of escape routes should it be necessary, while keeping an eye on Harry no matter where he moved to in the kitchen.

Hoping that he would be seen less as a threat, Harry slipped into one of the seats at the table. "Do you have any remaining family you can stay with?" Harry regretted the question. Way to go, Snape was hardly inside the door, and Harry was basically asking him to leave again.

"No, where do you know my name from?" With how quiet Snape had been so far, Harry was surprised to hear him speak.

Harry blinked, unsure of what Snape meant. When had he- oh, right, he had called him Severus when asking him to take Teddy and get his stuff. "It was on your mailbox." Harry had seen no such thing before going in, but he left Snape with no room to call him out on the lie, if it even was one. "Take off your shirt; I need to see what damage he did."

Harry wasn't overly surprised when Snape did not comply, the dark gaze not once wavering from his face. "Who are you, and what is your connection to my mother?" Severus said. The teen was in a talkative mood, which was a good thing, Harry just wished he would not be asking all those questions, especially since he hadn't been prepared to answer them.

Deciding that he could talk and work at the same time, Harry left his chair while summoning a few items he thought might be necessary. One of the benefits of having an accident prone child was that Harry made sure to always be properly prepared and stocked up. Especially after Teddy's accidental magic had started.

There had been that one time in Molly's kitchen where Ginny afterwards had sworn that Teddy would never be allowed near an alive chicken, ever again. Personally, Harry had thought that the yellow feathers went well with the Weasley red hair, though he had not dared to voice his opinion to his wife.

"I met her briefly when I was younger. Unfortunately I didn't know she had married such a bastard. By the way I'm Harry Grey." He had given up on presenting himself as Hadrian, the name simply didn't stick. The last thing he needed was to set someone onto his case because they figured out that it wasn't his real name.

For some reason Harry couldn't phantom, his name made Snape frown, but it was gone in an instance and Snape spoke up. "Severus Snape." Snape hesitated for another long moment before relenting and lifting his shirt enough to show some of the damage he had acquired courtesy of Tobias Snape. Unsatisfied, Harry moved around the table and closer and pulled his shirt further up; to reveal the full extent of the damage. The entire torso was covered by dark blue and purple bruises. Having dealt with that kind of damage plenty of times, Harry knew it probably looked worse than it was, but it didn't stop his growing rage towards Snape Sr. He was tempted to go back and ensure that the man would not be around to see the next morning.

But right now he had more important matters to take care of.

Casting a diagnostic charm Madame Pomfrey had taught him in one of his many stays in the Hospital Wing, Harry frowned at the rainbow of colours that danced over Snape's body. "The good news is that nothing is broken. But these bruises are going to take a few days to heal, even with the cream." Harry refrained from mentioning Snape's malnourishment and the deeper scar he couldn't have gotten by accident.

What kind of person could do this to a child? Tobias Snape belonged to the category of despicable people, right beneath Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

It could all be taken care of with time and the correct resources, both which he now had plenty of. Harry paused at the thought. It might not be such a bad idea. Certainly better than dumping Snape at an orphanage, that was how Voldemort had come to be. And who was better to take care of a mistreated child than one who had gone through the same ordeal? Harry would not call himself abused, but there had been no love lost between him and the Dursleys.

Harry was well aware of the grin on his face, and he was glad that he was behind Snape, smearing the thick cream on his back. Snape was tense enough as it was, and it would take little to spook him off right now. Having put a thick layer on, Harry put the lid on the jar and handed it to Snape. "If you need more, there is this and there should be more jars under the sink in the bathroom." He said nonchalantly as he retook his seat, making sure to keep the table between them. Snape had far more bruises, but Harry doubted he would get the teenager to take off his pants.

At least Snape took the jar without any fuss.

"So, your father signed away his guardian right over to me." Harry decided not to mention how he had gotten it done; the fewer questions asked the better in Harry's opinion. "All we need is for your new guardian to sign them and have them sent. So, who do you want to sign?" As much as he would prefer Snape stayed here so Harry could keep an eye at him, Harry knew that he could not suggest himself outright, not if he wanted to avoid Snape's suspicion.

"You."

"Me?" Harry wasn't sure if he had heard right. "Are you sure, we don't even know each other. For all you know I could be a serial killer." Harry said, unknowingly repeating Snape's earlier thoughts.

"Most serial killers do not let their child meet future victims, and who can really claim to know another person?" So typical of Snape to act logical, but Harry had not known him to be into philosophy.

"He could be my decoy, my way to gain your trust!" Realising he was arguing against the decision he had been opting for, Harry forced himself not to protest more. "Fine, I'll sign the papers, but if you at any point rethink your decision, you just have to say the word."

Making a show of signing the papers, holding them so Snape could see them, Harry made a mental note to send them off to Ragnok tomorrow. He still wasn't sure if Snape had manipulated him into this, or if Harry should consider this as getting his wish without even trying. Being the guardian of the greasy dungeon bat was a strange thought. Harry supposed it could be worse; at least Snape was not calling him dad.

"So, how about we get some shut eye, and tomorrow we can get to know each other?" Harry suggested, mostly because he was at a lost about what else he was supposed to say. Snape should be tired by now. It was late and the warnings on the jar had said that tiredness was one of its side effects if used in large quantities.

The wince Snape made as he moved made Harry wonder how effective this store bought product was. But he had a potential Potions professor under his roof, and a basement he had yet to find a use for, Harry was sure he would be able to figure something out.

Leading Snape upstairs, Harry stopped when they were by the bedrooms. It was a good thing the house had plenty of rooms, though it might not look like that from the outside, although Harry had no plans about further additions to their family.

"By the way, what is your opinion concerning werewolves?" Harry tried to sound casual, not sure of how successful he was. Had the whole thing with the Shrieking Shack and Remus happened yet? He really ought to get a better grip on this time line before he made a blunder he could not cover up.

"As long as they stay away from me during the full moon I have no personal issues with them." Really, that was a much better answer than he had dared to hope for. It also meant that Sirius had yet to lure Snape to follow Remus on the night of the full moon. He had to find a way to prevent that from happening somehow.

"Good, because Teddy inherited a few genes from his father, not enough to make him a werewolf. But with his Metamorphmagus genes, he turns into a furball a few days of the month, but so far he has kept his human mind and his bite doesn't transfer lycanthropy." Not that it had been enough to keep Teddy safe when the hunt set in. Even people Teddy and him had considered family had demanded that he sent Teddy to one of those camps specially constructed to house werewolves.

There hadn't been much of a choice other than for them to leave

"What is your relationship with Teddy?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck as he opened the door to the room Severus could have. Though not planning on housing other people, Harry had made sure that most of the guest bedroom were prepared, just in case. Between, preparations for his shop and taking care of Teddy, Harry sometimes felt like there were not enough hours in the day. "Both Teddy's and my parents are dead. Since I'm his godfather, I got his guardianship." It had been shared between Andromeda, Teddy's grandmother, and him, when she had still been alive.

Now Harry had made sure that he was the only one who had a claim to Teddy. He was possessive of what he considered his, Harry was not sure which part of him caused it, or perhaps he had always been like this.

He supposed it would include Snape for now, and he might as well get used to call him by his first name.

He reached out and ruffled Snape's hair, chuckling at the boy's shocked expression. "Sleep tight, Severus, the bathroom is right across the hallway, and my room is right next to yours, and Teddy's is after mine. Just come to me if you need anything." This shouldn't be so hard; he just had to treat Severus as he would with Teddy, just older.

He could do that, maybe.

**)00(**

More than a tad worried, Severus watched the man disappear into the room he had claimed to be his bedroom. What had he been thinking, asking a complete stranger to be his guardian? As the man had pointed out, they did not know each other at all and he might be a murderer, a thought Severus had been occupying.

But where else could he stay? He could not go back; Tobias would never let him forget his failed escape. Those from school might take him in, but they would expect something in return. It was custom in Slytherin, but Severus shuddered to think of what he would have to do in return. Lily was a possibility, but Severus would prefer to keep her out of this. Despite her sister, Lily came from the ideal family, and she had never fully understood the tense relationship he had to Tobias.

No, he was better off with this Harry Grey, not Hawwy as Teddy had called him. It was only for another three years and then he would be free to go wherever he wanted. He could make this work.

He would make it work.

**Next chapter will be up next Sunday. **


	3. Busy bees

**Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.**

**Warnings: This story will have slash, violence**

**Beta: Angelhitomie and Miss888**

Voldemort glanced at the big, ancient clock. It was not like Abraxas to be late for a meeting, especially not one held in his own home. The Malfoy was unwaveringly punctual, had been so from the very first day Voldemort met him.

"I apologise for the delay, my Lord." It sounded from Abraxas as he came through the door and bowed to Voldemort before taking a seat. "The meeting with the Minister of Magic was protracted. He wanted to show me his gratitude for ensuring that he could keep his position." Abraxas explained, never once fidgeting as Nagini slithered over his shoes before placing her head in Voldemort's lap to be petted.

"Any news about the possible elemental?"

"Unfortunately not, my Lord. Due to it happening in Knockturn Alley the investigation started rather late. Whatever magical trace there was left, it has most likely disappeared already. From what I heard, most of the Aurors believe that it was a dispute that went out of hand."

Voldemort leaned back in his chair, continually running his hand over Nagini's head. He had had a few of his own people looking at the scene long before the Ministry could send someone, but knowing that the Aurors would show up at some point, they had not been able to cast any spells so nothing could be traced back to them. Dumbledore had his fingers in too many pies already; he would rather not give the old man an excuse for turning his attention to this.

"What is your take on this, Abraxas?"

"There are plenty of possibilities. As I previously mentioned, the vampire might have killed her brother and tried to cover it up. The Aurors might have come up with the correct theory about what went on there. Unless we find someone who was actually there, I am unsure of how we are supposed to learn of what went on there."

Voldemort frowned. "What is the possibility of it being the work of an Elemental?"

"It could be an Elemental, yes," answered Abraxas. "I went through the books my mother gathered on the subject. It was quite an interesting read. Apparently, they originate from Pureblood families. If there are any Elementals left, they will be keeping an eye on those families and they might take a child at the first sign of their own kind living there to prevent a new hunt."

Abraxas' words only strengthened his own belief that they were dealing with an Elemental. But why would one of them risk detection now? Perhaps this one was a late bloomer and had only just gained access to its powers. Whoever this man was, he would be confused, perhaps fearful of those powers he was displaying.

A perfect victim for manipulation.

But others would be looking for this possible Elemental, if not now they would when the next incident happened, because if the Elemental did not have the necessary control more fires would start. An untrained Elemental was bound to make things really interesting.

"Look into disappeared children, whether they have been declared squibs or not. There might be a connection and I want it found. And spread the word, we are looking for a man with a young, blond haired and green eyed boy that goes by the name Teddy." No need to let others know why he was looking for the pair, his followers would follow his orders, no matter what.

"I will handle that, my Lord," Abraxas said as he stood and bowed, understanding that the meeting was over.

"_Master, are we hunting_?" If he had not been watching, he would have missed the shudder that went through Abraxas as he went out at the sound of Nagini's voice. His familiar set fear in his followers.

"_Yes, my dear. And it seems like this prey might prove itself worthy_."

"_Good, a good prey gives a good hunt and a full tummy." _Voldemort laughed. If this was an Elemental, the last thing he wanted to do was eating it, at least not in the way Nagini suggested it.

But, no matter what, he would enjoy the hunt. He had a feeling that the end result would be worth the efforts he put into this.

**)00(**

Harry was up with the sun, a habit he never seemed able to get rid of. There was something inside him aware of when the sun started to show and refused to let him sleep through it, much to his annoyance.

So instead of trying to sleep, he had found his way into the kitchen and started making breakfast. For a small kid, Teddy ate a lot and most of it was meat, something his godson had taken a preference to right from the beginning. It was in the middle of turning the sausages Harry remembered that they would no longer be only two of them for the meals. Since he had no idea of what Sna-Severus liked to eat, and damn it but he better eat something, Harry made some of everything. From what Harry had seen last night, Severus needed to put on weight, especially since he didn't seem to have hit his growth spurt yet. Harry ignored the fact that he wasn't much bigger, even with the muscles he had build up through Quidditch and Auror training.

Sticking out his tongue, Harry concentrated. The scent of coffee, sausages and bacon dominated the smell in the kitchen, and it made Harry feel greasy.

It also seemed likely that the newest addition to the family was an early riser. Harry wondered if the kid had gotten any sleep last night, or if he had just been waiting until he had heard Harry get up. It wouldn't surprise him if the latter was the case.

"Morning, Severus, I hope you slept well. Breakfast is on the table, and if you want anything, you better get started before Teddy gets down here." Turning off the heat on the stove, Harry turned around with the pan in his hand in time to see the sceptical look the teenager was giving him. Apparently the night hadn't laid Severus' concerns to rest. If Harry should guess, he would say that they had grown because of the time he had allowed himself to mull over them.

Finding a free spot for the pan, Harry slipped onto a chair, ensuring that he was directly in the sun's beams so he could be properly warmed up. He absolutely hated the cold and what it did to him.

Placing food on his plate with hurried movements, because he had been serious in his warning about Teddy, Harry started to speak. "Other than getting the final pieces to the shop, there is nothing on the plan. Perhaps we should start off with some shopping for clothes; Teddy is growing like a weed." Harry quickly added the last part, giving Severus no room to protest. From what he had seen yesterday, Snape Sr. was not one to do something he considered a waste of his money. Apparently, keeping his own child properly clothed and fed belonged in that category. The clothes Severus wore were a different set from yesterday, but in just as bad a shape. They reminded him of the hand-me-downs from Dudley. They would meet the same fate as his wardrobe had, perhaps they could have a bonfire in the backyard?

When Severus finally sat down, albeit the one across the table so he was furthest away from him, Harry had to cover his smile behind his cup of coffee. However small it might be, Harry still counted it as a step in the right direction. "What kind of shop is it you deliver to?" Severus asked.

Slower, and much more carefully than Harry had, Severus took his own plate and started picking his choices of food. "I own a store and sell the jewellery I make, or I will once I open." With today's load he should be ready to open. The black eyes flickered to his chest before going to his face.

"Did you make that ring?"

Harry's hand went to the necklace, closing around Ginny's ring as if to protect it. "Yes, I gave it to my wife the day I proposed to her."

Black eyes were watching him without blinking; it gave Harry the feeling of being back in the Potions classroom. "So, you are married. Why are you carrying your wife's ring, it is rather feminine, are you no longer married? I was unaware that divorce was legal in the Wizarding world."

Suddenly it felt much harder to keep the smile on his face. "She died. I made some people pretty mad at me. One of them managed to sneak past our wards and killed my wife and Teddy's grandmother. I came home before he could do any harm to Teddy. He won't be able to bother anyone again, and unless one brings several wards master, they won't be able to bring down the wards around this house, they're goblin made." And since his enemies were either not born, still children, or simply unaware of his existence, Harry would say that they were pretty safe. And he would try his damn hardest to ensure that it stayed that way.

"My condolences. I did not mean to-"

Harry simply waved his hand in front of his face, stopping before he spilled any of his coffee. "It's fine. Well, not really. But it is not something that can be changed." Malfoy had made that much clear before sending them here. No matter what he changed, it would not change the future that was his past. And it would not bring Ginny or any other member of his family back to life.

It made his heart clench when he thought too much about it.

Realising that all this talking about enemies was not the best idea, Harry placed his cup down with a pleasant smile. "I haven't sent the papers off yet. If you want someone else to be your guardian, I can contact whoever else you want to live with. I just want you to know that if you do choose to stay here, I will ensure your safety and you'll have-"

"Food!" Harry was halfway out of his chair and had grabbed Teddy around the middle, stopping the eager child from jumping onto the table in his hurry to get to the food. "Hawwy!" Teddy whined, reaching out to see if he could grab something but the nearest dishes were just out of his reach.

"Manners, Teddy." He might as well have used a spell with the way Teddy suddenly went still and lax in his hold, making a more genuine smile return to Harry's face at the apologising whine he made in the back of his throat. He was well aware that he spoiled his godson, but he refused to let Teddy become like Dudley.

When he was somewhat sure that Teddy, still dressed in blue nightclothes with moving dragons and a purple Mohawk for some reason, would not try another jump, Harry dropped him on one of the leftover chairs at the table. As he loaded a plate for Teddy, making sure that it consisted of an equal amount of meat and vegetables, Harry glanced over at Severus to judge his reaction. If Teddy had just waited a few seconds to arrive, Harry was sure that he would have had Severus' answer. It was not exactly something they could discuss with a child in the room. But other than surprise at the display, Severus showed no emotion.

But when Severus' gaze moved to Teddy who was gulping food down in an alarming speed, Harry allowed himself to lean back and watch them both with a slightly tilted head. What exactly had the two boys been talking about when they had been alone in Spinner's End?

"Awe you my new bwothew?" Harry was pretty sure he was not the only one surprised by Teddy's question. His eyes flickered back to Severus. Damn, he hadn't wanted to put pressure on Severus, but this might give him his answer.

"I suppose I could be your brother, if that is your wish," Severus said, as if he expected Teddy to have the final say in this matter.

His godson gave Severus a surprisingly levelled look. "I can use a bwothew, but I would like a sistew, can't you be that instead?" The innocent question had Harry bending his head so neither boy would see the grin on his face.

This, he could get used to.

After breakfast, Harry brought the boys out in the garden. In Harry's opinion the garden was like a wonderland with lots of trees and shrubs, and lot of the flowers that Aunt Petunia had never grown in her garden because they did not fit into her twisted view of normality. The backyard sloped to a shallow creek with a lot of stones in it. Just listening to the sound of flowing water helped Harry to calm down, even if he didn't feel particularly stressed.

Behind the creek the woods started. Trees, tall and probably older than Harry could guess, made one feel like the only person in the world.

In was their sanctuary, far away from everything else. Harry did not care what happened to the rest of the world, he knew that this place would still stand by the end of the day.

Harry knelt, catching Teddy before he could run too far away. "Stay still, this has to be done." For once, Teddy absolutely refused to listen as Harry tried to stuff the ever-changing hair under the hat he was holding.

"I thought you said that we were going to Diagon Alley, would it not be far easier to Floo there?" Lifting Teddy up before his godson could run off and get rid of the hat, Harry held out an arm for Severus.

"The fireplace hasn't been connected to the Floo yet." And doing so would mean going to the Ministry to get registered, an idea Harry was not overly fond of. He had hoped to put it off until Teddy was older, but with Severus in the house Harry supposed he should get it done sooner rather than later. Just in case that something happened. "So I will take us to an alley near the Leaky Cauldron on the Muggle side." The whole reason to why Teddy had to wear the hat. Muggles would hardly believe that it was a trick of the light if Teddy's hair changed from the Mohawk to plain brown.

"That thing you did, if I am not mistaken, it was not Apparition."

Damn, he had forgotten how good Severus was at deducing things, a skill he had apparently had from very young. Harry would bet that Severus could be placed in Ravenclaw and he would still be the brightest among them.

Even with having known this Snape for less than a day, Harry already liked him a lot more than the one from his time. It wasn't hard to do. Snape had done everything he could to make Harry hate him, while Severus was attempting no such thing.

Aside from the sister comment, it actually seemed as if Severus was trying to endear himself to Teddy, and Harry found that he had nothing against it happening. If Severus shared Snape's loyalty to protect someone, Harry knew his godson would be safer with an older brother.

"I cannot Apparate any longer, so I do this instead. One of my friends once compared it to the way the phoenixes travel from one place to another. It has been handy in several situations, so I would appreciate it, if you did not spread the word." Harry would prefer it if he did not end up as a test subject for the Unspeakables again. That one time with Hermione had been bad enough, though she had been able to figure out what was wrong with him.

When Severus still showed no inclining to take his hand, they would have to work on his problem with too much personal space later, Harry reached out, grabbed Severus' sleeve and pulled him close. "Brace yourself." Not sure if there were any protests from the teen, Harry concentrated, feeling the heat gather and lick his feet and up his legs.

Then the trio was gone.

**)00(**

Harry Grey was a hybrid. The man had admitted so much when explaining why he could not do all what other of their kind could, and yet so much more than other wizards were able to.

But that was not what Severus meant when he thought of a hybrid, though he was rather surprised. It seemed like he had ended with a pair where he was the only one the Ministry of Magic would consider human. Severus looked forward to observe Harry and Teddy and see how they were different from normal people.

Usually, when Severus met people, he did not need much time in their company to tell which of the four houses at Hogwarts they would do best in. His new guardian was brash, the hero type, and he doted on his godson. Severus was not sure how the last thing made him a Gryffindor, but in Grey's case it definitely did. And Severus would probably have continued following that belief if not for their trip to Madame Malkin's.

Severus was well aware that he did not have a body to be proud of, he did not need the Marauders to point it out for him every other day. So being told that he had to stand on a platform had not been his cup of tea. It had certainly not helped that a group of witches had come in and started giggling, making no attempt to hide whom the topic of their amusement was. But his new guardian had not said anything to them. Instead he had turned to Teddy, who had already been measured for a new cloak, and was licking a lollipop he had been given for his good behaviour, and nodded curtly.

To the unobservant watcher, it looked like an accident when the lollipop was suddenly dropped and Teddy started wailing in a way that could almost be mistaken for a howl. The next part had to involve accidental magic, because suddenly there was a naked four-year-old running into the middle of the group of witches, still howling. From the way one of them squealed and jumped, Severus guessed that Teddy had decided to make use of his teeth.

Too busy with escaping to laugh at him any longer, the women ran out of the shop like You-Know-Who was hot on their heels instead of a small child. Harry had stepped in and had grabbed Teddy before the child had made it out on the street and continued his hunt. What a shame, he would have loved to see them run up and down Diagon Alley. It would be their own fault for forgetting that they had a wand that could have been used.

As soon as the door had been closed and Teddy had been given a new lollipop to gnaw on, Harry had turned to the shop assistant with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. He is at the age where accidental magic happens." He had not sounded all that apologetic, but the witch had simply nodded, not once taking her eyes of the child that now spotted Weasley red hair. She had probably feared that he would go feral at the slightest wrong movement.

Yes, Harry Grey was definitely a hybrid between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, though Severus was unsure of how such a combination even came to be. He was just glad that the man had not been a student at Hogwarts. The Marauders were bad enough, Severus was unsure he or the school would have survived more of their kind, even if this one might have been a Slytherin.

**)00(**

"And here we have the shop." Somehow, Harry felt much more nervous about taking Severus to the shop than he had been about letting the teen into their home. Of course, last night he had done what he found natural. Severus could not possible stay with someone who could be Uncle Vernon's thinner twin when it came to the temperament. Severus had come up with no other suggestion, and Harry hadn't been about to drop him off at an orphanage. Even if he did not believe in the Dursleys' lies, Voldemort had grown up at such a place, so Harry refused to take any chances. Besides, he kind of owed it to his Snape for saving his skin so many times as he had.

"You made this yourself?" Harry felt a twitch at his lips at Severus' obvious curiosity.

"Yes, mostly when Teddy has been put to bed and I was unable to sleep." He had been able to fill up most of the glass cases and shelves by now. And the pieces he brought with him today should be able to take up the rest of it. For Harry it seemed better to do something productively than try and face his nightmares. He would do it, at some point. Just not now.

He looked around; trying to see it through Severus' point of view. The whole thing was made of red wood, Harry's way to honour Gryffindor, and because he really liked how warm it made the place look.

The bell over the door chimed as Harry was placing some of the newest necklaces, trying to figure out how to arrange them so they looked their best. The wizard barely reacted to the sound, it wasn't unusual for Teddy to play with the door, he claimed that he liked how the bell sounded.

Harry's gaze flickered around for the children; Severus was right next to him, keeping strangely still. Did he think that something would break if he breathed wrongly near it? Harry almost snorted at the thought. Perhaps, when enough time had passed, Severus would stop being so stiff.

Failing to locate Teddy, Harry turned to the door, fearing that Teddy had slipped out while he hadn't been paying attention, and grimaced.

While Teddy knew not to touch the things in the shop, to Teddy that apparently did not include the people whom wandered into the shop. So right now his godson was crawling all over the elderly man who had strayed into the shop, even though it was not even opened yet. The man looked much older than Dumbledore ever had, and yet there was something about the way he held himself, that made him look so much younger.

"Teddy, down boy." Harry didn't have to raise his voice to ensure that Teddy obeyed him. Teddy let go of the arm he had been hanging from, his colourful Mohawk turning into limp and brown hair.

"I'm sowwy." Harry wanted to coo when Teddy looked up at him with amber coloured eyes. Seriously, Teddy made it hard to stay mad at him when he used tricks like that.

All three turned their attention to the old man when he let out a wheezing laugh. "It was quite refreshing, lad. I am unable to recall when I last had the energy to make people into my personal jungle gym. And my dear Penny would scold me if I tried to do so now. My darling wife rather sees that I act my age, but I must admit, that I am no good at imitating dust." Though speaking to them all, the man's eyes kept moving to Severus in a way that put Harry on edge. Severus pulled back until he was standing in the shadows, so Harry knew that it was not just a part of his imagination. It made him step a little to the side so he was between the man and Severus.

Instead of commenting on the defensive movement, the man knelt down so he was more on an eye-level with Teddy. "And who might this young lad be?"

Teddy's now green eyes flittered over to Harry, no doubt he had noticed the rise in temperature and was wondering where the danger was. Harry moved his hand slightly, letting Teddy know that there was no reason to flee. "You'we supposed to say youw own name fiwst." The child crossed his arms, but the way he kept glancing at Harry belied the sureness he tried to portray.

"Such a bright lad. If you must know, I am Nicolas Flamel, you, however, may call me Nick."

Teddy accepted the hand offered to him, it dwarfed his own almost comically. "Teddy, and I'm fouw." The child proclaimed. "How old awe you?"

"I fear I am well beyond the point, where I can keep count of my own age anymore." Teddy looked down to his fingers with a frown.

"So more than ten."

Before Teddy could start another round of questions, Harry decide it was time for him to step in. "As nice as it is of you to come by Mister Flamel, I am afraid that this store is not ready to open yet. So if you would be so kind and leave, you can come back on the opening day, if that is what you want." He whipped off his slightly sweaty hands on his pants.

It was his first time actually meeting Nicolas Flamel. But the man's creation had been the first real adventure Hermione, Ron and he had worked together on solving. He felt guilty knowing that the Flamels had died not long after the philosopher's stone had been destroyed. But the guilt was not enough for Harry to not want the man out of the store and away from his boys.

"No. You see, I was on my morning walk when I met this lovely couple. The lad had just proposed, and the lass was happy to show me her new ring. I am what one might consider an expert when it comes to precious metals, and yet I was unable to figure out the way the ring had been made. Not even casting spells helped me, so I went here in the hope that you would help me solve this mystery."

"Sorry, but a magican never reveals his secrets." When Flamel raised an eyebrow, Harry tried to explain. "It's a Muggle saying. You use it to let someone know that you don't intend-"

"I know that. But I was not aware that someone with close relations to the Blacks would use it."

Now it was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow. "My name is Hadrian Grey, the small one is Teddy and my other boy is Severus. What makes you think that we have something to do with the Blacks? We prefer to stay neutral and from what I understand, that's not their thing." The only Blacks Harry had ever liked was Sirius and Andromeda, both had been considered the white sheep of their family.

"Why? Your youngest obviously has Black blood running in his veins. Metamorphic gift is an ability that is connected with the Blacks' genes." Flamel explained, as if it was supposed to be common knowledge, but this was the first time for Harry to hear it, and he knew that it could pose as a problem. Unfortunately, there was no way he could hide Teddy away until he gained control over his shifting abilities. Instead, Harry knew he would have to ready himself for the confrontation he knew would come once the word got out.

"My gwanny was a Black. But she is dead, and so is mommy and-" Harry lifted Teddy up and let the child bury his face into his shoulder, glad that it made the rest of Teddy's words go unheard.

When Harry finally looked at Flamel, his free hand felt like it was burning, but a quick glance proved that there were no flames to be seen. The heat was moving under his skin, begging to be let out so it could burn the one who had made Teddy cry. It took Harry a few attempts before he could speak without any hissing. "Get out of my shop, now."

"Look. I apologise for the lad but-"

"Leave! Now!" Harry roared, letting some of the heat slip out. It was not enough to form any actually flames, but the way Flamel stepped back; Harry knew he had felt it. The man said nothing, his eyes flickering to where Severus was still hiding before he backtracked and left.

Thankfully Severus knew better than to try and speak. Harry would have said something to the teen if he had not been busy trying to rein the heat in. If he let it gain control, the flames would burn down the shop and probably also a good part of Diagon Alley before he could control it again.

And no matter how tempting it might seem, Harry knew it was not the way to go if they should be able to live a peaceful life.

Somewhat sure that he wouldn't start a fire by accident, Harry ran the hand through his hair, grimacing at how sweaty it felt.

"What are you?"

Having forgotten that there was one more with them; Harry almost lost his grip on the flames before he looked at Severus standing in front of him. Slowly Harry lowered his hand, instead using it to rub Teddy's back. The sound of Teddy crying made Harry want to go after Flamel and make him regret doing this. "I am not exactly human, haven't been able to call myself that in the past few years." Perhaps he should let Severus in on his secret.

**)00(**

"Nick, you are back late. Did something happen on your walk?"

Nicolas Flamel rushed right past his wife as she greeted him the moment he came through the door. "Not now, Penny." He was quite sure, he heard her mutter something about insane old men before the door closed behind him and shut out any noise from the outside.

He took some Floo powder from the jar above the fireplace and threw it into the flames, the heat from it reminded him of what had happened in the strange store he had just been thrown out of. "Hogwarts, Headmaster's office." He called out as he knelt down with a groan. He would look into doing something about joint pains at some point. What was the point of being theoretically able to live forever if they had to deal with all the pains of being of old age?

"Nicolas, I thought you were in the middle of a big project. Has something happened, is that why you are calling me?" Nicolas felt his lips twist into a smile when his old partner's face appeared in the flames.

"Good morning to you, Albus, both Penny and I am in good health, though I have run into a small setback in my research, but that is not why I am calling. Do you remember that student of yours you mentioned last time we talked?" Albus had done more than simply mentioning the boy. From what Nicolas could remember, there had been some talk about apprenticeship. He had been rather sceptical but if how the boy looked was any hint to how he was treated at home, he might reconsider his decision, if only to get him away from that place, and the young Metamorphmagus too.

"Yes, young Severus Snape. His mother passed away, so I allowed him to go back home early. In time of grief one has to surround themselves with family." Hearing this, Nicolas had to close his eyes. He doubted that even two hundred years of living would help Albus to get rid of his rose tinted glasses. Despite his own strained relationship with Aberforth, Albus still refused to believe that someone would raise a hand against a family member.

"Well, I just met him today, and I must admit that I am more than a little worried about how he looked."

As expected Albus waved his worries away as if they were mere flies. "The boy just lost his mother; of course he is not looking his best. But where did you see young Severus? I was not aware that you took walks outside of Magical communities."

"In a new shop in Diagon Alley, the Ice Jewellers I believe it was called. His father owns it." At least that was how this Hadrian Grey had presented himself, though he looked rather young to have sired a teen. They could better go for brothers, but in the world they were living in, very little was impossible.

He was about to go into what had led him to the shop in the first place, and what had happened inside the shop when Albus cut in. "Nicolas, Tobias Snape is a Muggle, there is no way for him to own a shop in Diagon Alley. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go and investigate this immediately."

The connection was cut off before Nicolas could get another word in.

"Nicolas Flamel, are you meddling again?" Nicolas winced as his wife's voice sounded from right behind him. How much of the conversation had she listened in on, and how much trouble was he in?

Slowly he stood and turned so he was facing his wife. Even with him being half a head taller, Penny made him feel three inches tall when she looked at him in the disapproving way she was doing right now. "But Penny dear, the boy is clearly being abused. You did not see him, he was covered in bruises, and they could not all have been from some accident. With the way he showed off the boy in public, one would think that he wanted to be found out, or was proud of his own work." Nicolas fell silent when it did not seem like he was managing to convince Penny.

"What is the child's name?" Penny had placed her hands on her hips, which Nicolas knew meant nothing good. His wife had the annoying habit of poking holes in his ideas and argue against him, if she did not feel that his theses were incorrect, it was one of the reasons to why he had married her in the first place.

"And the name of the suspected abuser?"

Nick had to wrack his brain to recall the name. "Hadrian Grey, I believe."

"Since they do not share a last name, could it not be that Mr Grey rescued Mr Snape from his abuser? Albus did say that the dear lad's mother had just died, and he was with his father, a man has to manage his anger, and lashing out at someone smaller and weaker might be his way of handle the grief. Perhaps the marks have simply not have had the time to fade." As Penny spoke, Nicolas started to fidget, realising that his wife was properly right about this.

"Fine, I may have been a little hasty in my conclusion, I will make sure to apologise the next time I see them."

"And invite them over to dinner." When he tried to protest, Penny held up a finger in warning, effectively halting him. "You did just set Albus on them. And until you right this wrong, you will be sleeping on the couch. So, whether it will take a few days or fifty years is all up to you. Now, I will go out and plan a meal for these two poor ones, I am sure that they must be starving for a home cooked meal."

"Three actually, he had a second child, a small boy."

"How wonderful," Penny said as she made her way out of the study and towards the kitchen. "I always wanted a lot of grandchildren."

Nicolas watched her leave. For Penny's sake, he would truly try and mend this. Because of the Liquid of Life, they were both infertile, something he had not known before they had actively been trying to have a child. He supposed that it was an equal exchange, to be able to live forever, they had lost the ability to create a life together.

But he better get used to sleeping alone for now, because if the way he had been forced out of the shop was to go by, he would not be forgiven anytime soon. Really, he could not recall having ever been so difficult in his own youth.

**)00(**

Teddy's tears had barely had time to dry before the door bell chimed again. "Sorry, but we are closed." Harry said as he turned halfway, with Teddy still clinging to him, before he froze.

The last time he had seen Dumbledore alive, had been when Snape had killed him. After the war he had visited Hogwarts to talk with his former Headmaster's portrait when he had needed to rant to someone.

Seeing Dumbledore was like being punched in his stomach. The Headmaster still dressed in his eccentric robes, this time orange with small Quidditch players flying around. His face was less wrinkled, and his beard and hair was a strange mix of red and grey. But he still looked so much like the man he had considered his mentor that Harry felt his knees go weak and he had to concentrate to not let them give out under him.

Harry met the blue eyes over the half moon glasses for half a second before he looked away. Just because he liked Dumbledore, it did not mean that he wanted to give the man free access to his mind. That kind of went against the whole 'coming here to be left alone' thing he had going. "As I said, the shop is closed. If you want to buy something, you'll have to come again another day," Harry said, not quite meeting the other's gaze.

Was Dumbledore here because of Flamel? Those two were supposed to be good friends. Still, for a man at Flamel's age to go to Dumbledore just because he had been told to leave the shop, it made Harry feel embarrassed for him. "Good morning, my name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"I know who you are, but it doesn't change the fact that we are closed, and I would like you to leave." Teddy started to move a bit restlessly, so Harry handed him a piece of chocolate. With the speed the sweet was gone from his hand, Harry would say that Teddy was alright again.

Realising that Harry had no intention of meeting his gaze, Dumbledore's eyes started to wander around the shop. "Actually, I am here as the Headmaster of the school. It seems like one of my students has strayed into this shop."

Harry wanted to swear. He had hoped he would have more time before Dumbledore would be notified of the change. Old person or not, Flamel would pay for sticking his nose where it did not belong. But by now Ragnok should have received the papers about Severus' guardianship change. Not many would be dumb enough to mess with this since the goblins were involved. "No one has strayed into here other than an old man, but I think he was too old to still be in school. Severus, can you come here?" It was better to cut the chase before Dumbledore started getting any ideas.

A short moment went by before Severus came out from the back of the shop, leaving Harry no doubt that the teen had been listening in on the conversation. Like himself, Severus was not quite meeting the Headmaster's gaze, though Harry doubted it was for the same reasons as himself.

Severus would not have returned to Spinner's End early on his own doing, not when it meant being alone with his dad. Harry knew that when he had been with the Dursleys, he had wanted to stay away from them as long as possible. But Dumbledore had the power to send his students home early, if he felt it was for their own good.

"Severus, my boy, what are you doing here? Come with me, and I will escort you home. I am sure that your father is sick with worry, over where you are."

Harry held out his arm, an unnecessary action since Severus had not moved an inch from the doorway; in fact he looked rather tempted to retreat back to where he had emerged from. It was just as much to let Severus know he should stay where he was, as a preparation if Dumbledore attempted something. "Severus is staying here." Still not looking Dumbledore into the eyes, Harry let his arm fall. The way the heat had started moving under his skin again, he would rather not risk any slip ups especially now.

"Sorry, Mr..." Dumbeldore trailed off, obviously not having taken the time to learn whom he was trying to get Severus back from before he had come here. Dumbledore actually seemed surprised that Harry did not simply hand over Severus when he had said so. Was it just this Dumbledore who was like this, or had his own Dumbledore also acted like this and Harry had merely not seen it? It was something he could mull over when he did not have to prevent Dumbledore from splitting up their little family.

"Hadrian Grey, Severus' new guardian." Harry tried to keep the emotion at bay. It had been so long since he had spoken with Dumbledore, and this wasn't how Harry had pictured it would be like. Granted, he hadn't thought it could be a possibility before Teddy was old enough to attend Hogwarts. By then he should be well prepared, enough to not have an inner panic attack. Like the one he was having right now.

"It is a pleasure to meet you; perhaps you will explain to me why you claim to be his guardian. The last time I checked, Tobias Snape was still alive."

Harry almost bristled at the suspicion he was facing. What exactly had he done that made Dumbledore so suspicious of him? It made Harry tempted to throw Dumbledore out the same way he had done with Flamel, despite the consequences he knew this would have. "Mr Snape was alive when we left. And he willingly wrote over all his guardianship rights to me."

It had taken some convincing but Snape Sr. had been willing at the end. And even if Dumbledore went looking, he would find nothing incriminating. One of the positive things about having been an Auror in training was that he had a good idea of what they would look for at a crime scene. If he should ever be tired of selling jewellery, he could always turn to a life of thieving. In that case, Aunt Petunia would have been right when calling him a delinquent, and that alone was enough reason for Harry not to do it, for now.

"Hadrian, young Severus has just lost his mother. Neither should be held responsible for their actions, and I believe that father and son should be together in their time of grief."

Harry rubbed his chin. He did not want to consider what Dumbledore said, but he supposed he could at least act like he was actually doing so. "If you're Severus' Headmaster, I don't see what say you have in this when you haven't acted before now. I removed Severus with his dad's approval, and the goblins have gotten the papers already, there is nothing for you to change."

Both boys were starting to get restless. Severus because he was unsure if Harry would keep his word. And Teddy had finished his sweet and was growing bored. "I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts and I-"

"Exactly, you are the headmaster, and thus you have no say in a student's life outside of school. If you suspect that a home is unfit for a student, you can contact the school board of governors, that is after all what they are there for." For once he was glad that he had listened to Hermione's lecture. But he was not sure why she had come into that subject while having a lunch date. He remembered that they had talked about why he had been placed with the Dursleys.

"Excuse my brashness, Mr Grey. But to me, it seems rather unnatural that a child would choose to follow a stranger rather than to stay with the family he knows and has grown up with." It pained Harry to admit it, actually, scratch that it didn't, but Dumbledore was much worse a fool than Harry had thought. Either that or he was willingly blind, which Harry considered a much worse option.

But Harry was starting to tire of the game they had going. "You show a kind of attention to a student that isn't healthy for a headmaster. If you really are worried about my pursuit for being Severus' guardian, you'll have to do it the right way. Now, you are annoying me, and I would prefer it if you left my shop and my family alone." He said and when Dumbledore made no move to leave, Harry smiled grimly. "Unless you would like me to contact the press and inform them about how you terrorize my family and interfere with business that has nothing to do with you.

Harry knew he had chosen the right thing to say when Dumbledore's wrinkles seemed to deepen. He felt his body tense when Dumbledore's gaze shifted to Severus, but unless the old man did something, he could not react. He refused to give Dumbledore something he could use against him. "Severus, my boy, you know you can come to me with anything that concerns you. My door is always open for those who want to speak with me." With a nod to those in the room, Dumbledore finally left.

When the door closed after Dumbledore, Harry sagged with a sigh. If not because he had been holding Teddy, his hands would probably tremble much worse than they did.

If he felt like this after seeing Dumbledore, Harry loathed to think of how he would react when meeting someone closer to him, such as his parents, or even worse, Sirius.

Pushing the worries aside for later, when he could panic properly without being watched, Harry waved Severus closer. And when Severus was close enough, Harry pulled the teenager flush against him, enjoying the shared body heat between them. "It is your decision. But until I hear the words from your mouth that you want to leave, I'll fight anyone with tooth and nails so you can stay with Teddy and me." Harry promised.

He received no verbal response, but a pair of arms hesitantly settled around him, so Harry guessed that he had gotten the answer he was looking for.

No one, not even Dumbledore, Voldemort, or Merlin himself would be able to pull his family apart this time. Harry would eliminate them before they had the chance to do so if it became necessary.

**I am working on chapter four and will see if I can get it ready to next Sunday. Otherwise the update will come whenever it's ready.**

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please tell me what you think. **

**Until next time**


	4. Full moon

**Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.**

**Warnings: This story will have slash, violence**

**Beta: Angelhitomie**

Nothing had happened in the three days that had passed since Dumbledore's visit, and though he knew it was a bad idea, Harry found himself worrying a little less as each day passed by. It didn't stop him from watching the door each time they were at the shop, half expecting Aurors to come in at any moment to take Severus away.

It hadn't been a good idea to go against Dumbledore, Harry could genially say that he had liked Dumbledore in his own time, but there was no way he would accept someone who wanted to send Severus back to that man.

He had tried to hide his unease from the boys. Teddy hardly noticed it, the full moon was coming up in a few days and his godson was excited at the thought of running free in the forest rather than being locked up somewhere with Harry, even if that had been for his own safety.

The way Severus had taken to watching him told Harry that he didn't fool the Slytherin. It was strange how easy Severus seemed to fit right into their family. If Harry did not know better, he could have been inclined to believe that the boy had always been there. And seeing how Teddy acted around the boy, only made Harry all the happier that he had taken Severus in.

Feeling something drip onto his leg, Harry looked down and cursed. He hadn't been paying attention to his work and now the gold had turned to liquid and was most likely useless. Picking at the already cooling gold on his leg, Harry grimaced. It would hurt like hell to get it off his skin where it had melted right through his jeans. It had happened a few times before and when the hairs on his legs were pulled off, Harry rarely withheld a few words of choice. It was a good thing that neither Severus nor Teddy would be around to hear him this time, as they were both back at home, hopefully asleep as they were supposed to be.

Harry knew he wasn't supposed to leave the boys without supervision, but with the basement being turned into a Potions laboratory, something he had yet to tell Severus about as he wanted it to be a surprise, Harry had lost his working place in the house, thus causing him to go to the store in the middle of the night. If not because he knew he would be alerted the moment one of the boys ventured out of their respective room, Harry wouldn't have left the house.

The working space in the back of the shop was one big mess, with different kinds of materials for his work spread out over every available space. To someone else it might just look like a big mess, but Harry was able to find the things he needed for his work without even having to look up from what he was doing.

Hearing a thump from the front, Harry sat up straight, listening with a frown. Spells were in place to keep the things from falling down accidentally, some of the jewellery he had made was fragile, and he had an accident prone godson. So if he heard something fall, it was either a trick of his overtired mind, or someone had decided to pay the shop a visit outside of the opening hours.

Otherwise unmoving Harry stuck his tongue out. If there was nothing, he would continue on and finish a few more pieces before calling it a night. However, if there was someone else in his shop, Harry would rather not give his presence away with unnecessary noise.

It didn't take him long to find a smell that didn't belong there. Harry scrunched his nose, whoever this person was; they needed a bath and a good scrubbing down. If not because it would encourage others to repeat this stunt, Harry might have been tempted to let the thief make off with a few things, if only to get rid of the smell faster.

Unfortunately, he would have to show why it was such a bad idea to attempt to steal from him, whether it was an object or a person. Harry wasn't about to lose more than he already had.

Carefully peeling the clump of gold off his hand and placing it on the table, he would see if he could get the rest off his jeans and skin later, Harry stood. There was a big shelf with raw materials between him and the door, so at least the light from the single lamp lit at his worktable would not alert the intruder that they were not as alone as they might believe.

With his holy wand in hand Harry sneaked to the door. When his hand touched the door knob, Harry hesitated. There was silence on the other side of the door, if he hadn't caught the smell, he wouldn't have believed that there was anyone else inside the shop.

Slamming the door open in hope of taking the intruder by surprise, Harry stepped inside, his wand held high and a spell ready on his lips. It was dark in this part of the shop, not much of the light outside reached in here, and he had no light from behind to help him see.

Thanks to four years of playing Seeker, Harry saw something big move to his left and was able to react within the second, which was a good thing, otherwise he might have been knocked out right away. Throwing himself to the right, Harry barely escaped the fist to his head and instead he collided with the door which had bounced back when it hit the wall. It seemed like the intruder had known he was there, and had decided to lie in wait for him.

Harry spun around, not letting the brief pain at the impact hinder his movements as his feet constantly moved in an attempt to bring him out of his attacker's reach. He scrambled away from the door and into the middle of the shop where he would have more space to move around. Despite the other's considerable bigger bulk and strength, they were not moving nearly as fast as Harry, something the wizard was only happy to take advantage of.

Each ounce of speed was necessary to avoid getting hit when this guy lashed out. With this kind of strength he was showing, Harry doubted that he was an entirely normal human being.

When one of the guy's fists impaled the wall, Harry ducked away from him and winced when he heard the wall crack. Yup, he would definitely avoid getting hit by this guy. Even with his healing it would be painful.

Harry grumbled loudly under his breath as he had to jump high to avoid the kick that otherwise would have swept his legs away from underneath him. It seemed like not even hitting the wall like he did faced the guy the slightest bit. Most wizards and witches preferred magic over keeping their bodies fit, unless they had chosen to be an Auror, or a similar profession that demanded they trained regularly.

His body started to shiver and Harry grimaced. Upon his arrival, he'd activated the heating charms in the back room, but here it was cold, and Harry felt it despite keeping himself in constant motion. Well aware that it wasn't good, Harry was determined to put an end to this quickly, or find a way to reach the rune that would turn the heat on in this part of the shop. Otherwise Harry knew that he would not be moving around for much longer.

It would be a lot more easy if he could actually see something, and for that he needed light.

Raising his wand and with a Lumos on his lips, Harry wasn't prepared for when the wooden stick was sent flying with a hit that had his whole arm stinging. Before Harry could move in the direction his wand had been sent, a hand grabbed his arm and twisted it, forcing Harry to turn around and pressed him up against a wall.

Annoyed by being pinned so easily Harry wiggled, trying to see if he could get himself free without using too much violence. In response the man pressed against his back, leaving Harry with basically no room to move. So much for his Auror training, if he continued trashing around, he would end ripping his own arm off by the feel of it.

Sighing Harry's body relaxed, his head resting against the wall as he used the opportunity to get his breath back. "So, do you come here often?" When he received a non-commentary grunt, Harry rolled his eyes while moving his feet slightly. The way he was held allowed his toes to touch the floor enough to he'd not have all his weight on his arm. While it was less painful this way, it didn't help him to get free of the hold. "So, I get that you're not the talkative sort. That's cool. You know what would be even better, big guy? If you let go of me, so I would not have to hurt you." While Harry was serious about what he had said, he heard an amused huff from behind him.

"Shut up!" The man's voice was gruff, and sounded like it hadn't been used for a while. And up this close the smell radiating from him wasn't any better. Harry was tempted to stop breathing to escape it, if not because it would cause him to pass out. But then again, that might be a preferable option to continue being a victim to the man's odour.

The grip on his arm tightened and a groan slipped past Harry's lips, there would be some ugly bruises if he kept being manhandled like this. Apparently the guy did not take Harry's warning serious, because he did not let go.

This time Harry huffed. As a former Auror, he had gotten used to be taken serious when he warned people. But this man probably saw nothing but a shopkeeper who was stopping him from making away with his stolen treasure. Luckily, the man didn't realise that Harry had the advantage in this position, even without his wand.

After some more wiggling, Harry got his other arm free from where it had been caught between the wall and his own body. "Don't say that I didn't warn you." He taunted and thrust his arm backwards, feeling the heat engulf his hand as the palm connected with what felt like a well toned abdomen.

The snarl the man made didn't sound anything like a human should be able to make. Harry found no time to wonder about it, when he realised that the body was no longer pressed against his own. A hard yank freed his arm and Harry found himself with both feet solid planted on the floor once again.

Moving his arm to ensure that no serious damage had been done, Harry grinned. By the sound of it, his attacker was quickly regaining his breath, and Harry doubted that he would like to see what would be happening then. Not letting the grin fall Harry turned around, unwilling to leave his back open for more attacks.

Knowing that his time was limited, a sluggish sensation starting to take over his body as Harry became more aware of the cold. Letting the heat pool in his hand once again, Harry made sure he was facing his opponent. The man stood tense, undoubtedly trying to figure out what it was Harry had done to him. After all his wand was lying somewhere on the floor, well out of his reach.

Lifting his arm, Harry's grin widened. The man didn't look too harmed by what he had done, so he was probably durable enough to endure it if Harry upped his attacks a bit, not too much as he would rather not burn down the shop with all his work inside it. Besides, he wasn't a murderer as long as he could avoid taking a life.

Thrusting his arm forward Harry watched as flames sprung out from the tip of his fingers, speeding towards the man too fast for Harry to redirect the attack even if he had wanted to do so.

Harry's certainty about the man not being throughout human was strengthened when he moved to the side, barely avoided the cylinder of flames that hit a bare spot on the walls and fizzled out as Harry cut it off, luckily not doing more damage than that.

The intruder used his momentary distraction as a way to get up close before Harry realised what he was doing, or had time to let the flames out once again.

Seeing that the fist was too close to avoid, Harry tensed his muscles and stepped closer while lowering his head, intending to take the hit as he had been taught instead.

There was more power behind the punch than Harry had calculated, rattling his jaw. His sight turned white for a moment when the knuckles connected with his forehead. While it was painful, it was better than a broken nose or a jaw. Those were downright bitches to re-break if he did not set them properly before the healing set in.

Shaking his head to clear his sight, Harry felt himself be picked up and held high. Fearing that he would be thrown Harry floundered, digging his nails into the other's skin while readying himself to let out another bout of flames. While he would prefer not to burn down the shop, Harry had a feeling that this one would not stop before he was either dead or knocked out. And coming back to life was a rather annoying process, but at least he wouldn't be doing it stark naked like Voldemort had under his resurrection.

The grip charged, and Harry knew he had been correct in his suspicion about being thrown. The wizard sucked in a breath, prepared to let more flames loose. If this didn't scare the guy off, it should at least stop him from giving Harry any more trouble.

He could feel the heat roll faster through his veins, eager to be let out so soon again and at the possibility of destroying something. Harry was surprised by the intensity of it. Other than today, he hadn't used actual flames since facing the vampire duo, and that heat blast against Flamel had done little to help with the pressure building up inside him. Once this was over, Harry knew he had to find some kind of outlet for his flames. He wouldn't let the heat grow to the point where he couldn't keep it inside him.

"Petrificus Totalus!" The stunner hit the man under him with enough power to make him stumble and slack his grip on Harry, though he didn't freeze up as he was supposed to upon being hit by the full Body Bind curse. Too busy for panicking over the fact that he no longer had anything holding him up, Harry didn't bother to think much about it at the moment. Letting out a panicked thrill, Harry wrapped himself around the attacker's upper body like an overgrown squid.

"What the fuck!?" Harry clamped his mouth shut, surprised by his own exclamation, and glad that Teddy wasn't around to hear him say it. Whoever had interrupted the fight, they weren't on the attacker's side given that the spell had hit him, or perhaps it had just been badly aimed. It could be a sneaky plan to make him believe that he had backup and thus didn't need to fight any longer.

Sensing hands reaching for him, it might be a figment of his imagination caused by the rush of adrenaline running through his body, Harry scrambled around on his original attacker's body and used his broad back as a set off when he jumped. He twisted in midair and landed on top of the counter, using a short moment to regain his balance. "What the heck are you people doing in my shop?" When he received nothing but swearwords and spells thrown in his general direction, Harry had to move fast to avoid being used for target practice.

Diving behind the counter, anger welled up inside him when something big crashed. Determined to hold the flames back until he knew exactly who those people were, Harry found and activated the rune that turned on the shop's light.

Bright light flooded in from above, finally allowing Harry to see what was going on.

The shop's door was hanging on its hinges, allowing cool air to come in, and Harry wrapped his arms around himself in hope of keeping himself warm as he looked over the rest of the room.

There were burn marks on where he had been pressed up against the wall, and the wall he had hit when trying to scare his attacker of. The crash he had heard before was caused by one of the shelves that seemed to have been knocked over, leaving glass pieces and jewellery spread out over the floor. Harry sighed, it was a mess, but with magic it would take no time to pick everything up and ensure that there was no glass left on the floor.

Sure that nothing else had been damaged, Harry turned his gaze to the intruders, pondering on which one of them would have to pay for the damage done to his shop.

Two of the males were dressed in the Auror's red robes, and Harry's mood soured further upon sight of them. If nothing had happened, he would have been wearing those robes, but that was not meant to be.

Both the Aurors had their backs to him, making Harry huff in annoyance. Why did they dismiss him as nothing? His wand may lie disregarded on the floor, but he was far from defenceless or harmless. He could blast holes through their backs, and they would not know it before they were already dead. Not that he would actually do that, unless they were a threat against his family.

Curious about the one who had first broken into his shop, Harry turned his attention to the man the Aurors held at wandpoint. He was much bigger, both in height and width, than those other wizards in the room. Despite looking only a few years older than Harry, the man's hair was grey, mattered by dirt and sweat. There was something feral over the way his blue eyes glared at the two Aurors. The layers of grime that covered his body and threadbare clothes didn't help on that impression. Harry frowned, unable to recall where he had seen the man before, but he was certain this wasn't the first time he saw this fellow. Of course, a lot could change a lot in some and twenty years.

Harry knew he could relax. The Aurors were here, they would take Mr Feral with them to the Ministry and deal with him as they saw.

Only, Harry could not allow that to happen. He'd stupidly used flames and Mr Feral would no doubt be more than happy to rat him out at the first opportunity. While it could be written off as Accidental magic, even if he was a little too old for that to happen, there were paranoid people, such as Mad-Eye, though Harry wasn't sure if he was an Auror yet, and Harry would rather not draw unneeded attention to his family.

"What do you two think you are doing?" One of the Aurors, the oldest if he slightly wrinkled face was anything to go about, turned to face Harry, the other didn't as much as twist as Harry spoke. "Why are you in my shop?"

The Auror was of the friendly looking sort, Harry could easily imagine him with a young grandchild on each knee if he sat down, clearly used to dealing with cumbersome civilians. "Don't worry, good sir. I am Auror Fenwick and this is Auror Moody, we will take this criminal off your hands." The way this Fenwick spoke had Harry's hackles raising before he shock his head. Now wasn't the time to be annoyed over being spoken to as if he was nothing more than a child.

"You aren't taking him anywhere." Spotting the silver handcuffs that had appeared in one of Moody's hands, fuelled Harry's anger. When the Aurors had come for Teddy, they had brought the same kind of tools with them despite their claims that they only wanted what was best for his godson. Harry had taken great pleasure in melting them to the point where they were nothing more than a clump of useless metal. He was strongly tempted to make a repeat of that show.

The handcuffs also meant that the guy was a werewolf, which really didn't help to calm Harry's temper. The Wizarding world treated werewolves unjust, and they saw it fit to punish them when those individuals were driven to criminality in an attempt to better their situation. Heck, they only reason to why Remus had not ended up like that was because he'd hidden what he was and had had Dumbledore's support.

It was no wonder that the werewolves had joined Voldemort in both the first and the second war. It was not like they'd much of a choice. Harry was starting to feel rather sick, while there was not the same active hunt for those with werewolves' genes, Harry wasn't sure if Teddy would indeed be safe if either of their non-human statuses became known to the public.

At his words, Harry found himself under the scrutiny of two people, though Moody had not turned to look at him. But if Moody already had his artificial eye, he was most likely using it to keep taps on everyone inside the shop. Mr Feral looked surprised by his protest, while Fenwick looked like he had dealt with too many of Harry's kind and wanted to get over with this as quickly as possible. "May I know your name?"

"Harry Grey, owner of this shop." Neither commented on his claim though Harry knew he did not look the part of a shop owner with his black clothes, let alone one owning this kind of shop.

Auror Fenwick gave a cut nod. "Mr Grey." He gestured towards the man they'd captured. "This is a highly dangerous criminal, in fact he-"

"I hired him to break into my shop!" Harry's voice rose as he dug nails into his palms. To those people being a werewolf was the same as being a criminal; it was no different from what they had fled from. The good thing was that in this time there were only two people aware of Teddy's almost werewolf status.

Fenwick had his face set in a frown, and Harry tensed when he found that the wand was pointed at him in a not so subtle matter. What had he done to deserve this kind of treatment? Perhaps he wasn't good at solving troubles that did not involve some kind of fighting. "Mr Grey, scam is a grave matter. If you stand by this claim, we will have to throughout investigate to see what else you might have done."

Harry closed his eyes and counted backwards from twenty. The last thing he needed was two nosy Aurors sticking their noses into businesses that had nothing to do with them. Even with the papers Draco had forged for him, something could be found, or rather not found. No, it was better to deal with this calmly and hope that his idea would work.

When he opened his eyes again, the scenery had not changed. If the Aurors had any idea of what Harry was tempted to do to them for treating the sanctuary he was trying to create for him and his, they wouldn't be acting so calmly. "I'm opening my shop in a few days, and given what I will be selling, I wanted to make sure that the security was as good as I had been promised. So I had this guy," Harry gestured to Mr Furry who was thankfully keeping his mouth shut so far, but those blue eyes didn't seem to leave Harry's person for even a short moment. "to see if he could successfully break in. Apparently, there needs to be made a few adjustments, and why did it take so long for you to show up? If this had been the real deal, I would have been dead, and he would have been long gone with all my hard work."

Now where the tables had been turned, Auror Fenwick was starting to look decidedly uncomfortable. Harry supposed that the Auror wasn't used to this kind of reaction when he came to help people, and it threw him off, which was exactly what Harry wished for. A confused Auror was easier to lead around than one that suspected him of being up to no good.

When Moody spoke up, Harry was both surprised and irritated. "It's rather iffy that you'll pay a complete stranger for such a job." The comment had Harry gritting his teeth as Moody took a step towards Mr Feral, jingling the handcuffs. Of course Moody would be leery; Harry knew he would be no different if facing the same kind of situation. That said, Harry really wished that the crazy Auror would just keep his mouth shut.

"Well," Harry dragged the word out, searching for a rebuff. "I knew that is has been a while since we saw each other face to face, but I would hardly call my own brother a stranger." Moving past the two Aurors, Harry got up next to the flabbergasted Mr Feral, who quickly schooled his features so none of his shock showed. Still grinning Harry slung his arm around the other's shoulder, having to stand on the tip of his toes to be able to reach all the way. The guy didn't move, much to Harry's relief. More questions would be asked and doubt would be cast if one of them acted strangely despite claiming to be brothers.

"The two of you look nothing alike, and you want us to believe that you're closely related." Auror Fenwick pointed out, and now both Aurors had their wands aimed at them, causing the heat inside himself to rush faster in its wish to be let out. He might just need to do that if the Aurors did not buy his bluff. And Harry was sure that the guy next to him would be more than happy to help him with hiding the bodies afterwards.

Rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, Harry smiled awkwardly, especially when he noticed how Moody twisted at the movement. "I look like our father, while my brother here takes more after our mother." A heavy arm lay on his shoulder, nearly making Harry's knees buckle at the sudden added weight. Scowling Harry sent the guy a dark look, only to find Mr Feral smiling down at him, showing off too pointy teeth.

"When my baby brother came begging for help, I couldn't very well turn him away." Sharp nails dug into his shoulders through the fabric. The guy apparently didn't appreciate having his looks compared to a woman, and thought he could return the jab. Well, two could play that game.

Shifting his scowl back into a smile, he let a little extra heat of. He was impressed that the body next to him didn't react at the higher than normal temperature, even as Harry started to smell burnt hair. He ended it quickly, not wanting to alert the Aurors of what was going on right in front of them. "My brother hasn't had an easy life. He's a squib, you see, so basically no place will hire him. And I can't allow him to wander off into the Muggle world, who knows what kind of trouble he might get himself into? Even here he can't visit his own family without being treated like some criminal. What kind of world are we living in?" Harry said.

Auror Fenwick was looking decidedly uncomfortable and had even lowered his wand so it was pointing towards the floor. Moody, on the other hand, was as vigilant and rigid as ever, the paranoid Auror did not believe the story they were brewing, that much was clear from the look in his eyes.

Luckily, Auror Fenwick spoke up before Moody could voice any of the conspiracy theories he had running wild inside his head. "It seems there has been a misunderstanding, and I apologise for that. In the future, however, we would appreciate it if you went through the proper channels before starting such a test. I'm afraid, that not all of our co-workers are quite so understanding."

"I'll remember that. Now, I want to fix the damage, so if you could just..." Harry trailed off, gesturing towards the destroyed door. He still couldn't believe that he hadn't even noticed their arrival. But he counted himself lucky that they hadn't seen him throw flames around. No doubt that at least Auror Fenwick would not be acting so friendly, if he could call it that.

Fenwick nodded. "Of course, we will let you and your brother become acquainted, our shift is about to end anyway. Have a pleasant night." The Auror packed his wand away, nudging Moody so the other did the same and the older had a hand on his partner's arm as he practically had to drag Moody along to make him leave the shop.

Harry used both arms and had to dig his heels into the floor to stop Mr Feral from attacking as soon as the two Aurors had turned their backs to them. Harry knew that the guy was not making any real effort. With the muscles he hid under his clothes, Harry wouldn't be able to stop him with physical strength alone if Mr Feral decided to make a go for it.

None of the Aurors reacted, but Harry knew Moody was keeping an artificial eye on them. He just hoped that Fenwick would not think anything of it if Moody decided to tell what he was seeing.

As soon as both the Aurors were gone, Harry let go of Mr Feral and took a few steps away from him, watching the werewolf almost stumble before he caught himself, not having expected Harry to let go so easily. Gingerly, Harry touched his jaw, while it was sore he knew that the healing process had already kicked in. Come morning it would be back to normal and none of the kids would have any idea of what had happened tonight. Or was it more like early in the morning?

Ignoring the unmoving werewolf, Harry gathered up his wand and pointed it at the door. "Reparo." The few pieces that had fallen off flew back in their proper places, and the door swung close, cutting off the cold air.

Satisfied Harry pocketed his wand and turned around, finding Mr Feral way too close for his liking. It made him recall how easily he had been picked up and almost thrown if it had not been for the Aurors' interference. Blue eyes were staring down at him curiously. "What are you?"

Harry brushed right past him, intending to fix the damage done to his shop before he would go home. "I'm the guy who saved your sorry arse. You got a name? Or else I'll keep calling you Mr Feral, it seems to fit you anyway." With another spell Harry patched up the wall, leaving no sign of the burn mark that had been there just before.

"Fenrir Greyback." Harry froze, feeling a body press up against his back as the information passed through his brain. "But you may call me whatever you want." A warm breath was blown against his ear shell and Harry had to pinch one hand so he wouldn't lean back against the now named stranger. It was too cold for his liking and there was an easily accessible heat source he could latch onto if only he would let himself do it.

But this was the guy who had turned Remus and had condemned countless of others to the same fate. Harry was strongly tempted to call the Aurors back, if not because he would have one hell of a problem with explaining his previous claim.

Something brushed against his neck and Harry swirled around, slapping the hand away with a wide-eyed look. "What do you think you are doing?" Harry hissed, raising an empty hand in preparation. They both knew by now that he did not need his wand to defend himself.

Greyback's face darkened as he leaned down so their noses were almost touching. "Thanking you. Or are you one of those who think they are too good to be with a werewolf? Are you afraid that I might infect you, make you into something much greater than a measly human?" Greyback moved his gaze down to Harry's neck and the wizard knew he was tempted to simply force the bite upon him.

Swallowing, Harry let the flames lick up his arm, able to relax when Greyback's eyes moved from his vulnerable throat to his hand on fire. "Would I have helped you if I thought like that?" He questioned. "I'm not exactly human myself. Besides, one of my boys has a so-called furry problem, so I couldn't just let them take you away when I know how the Ministry threatens your kind." Harry let the flames flicker out as he let his arm fall back to his side. "Besides, I was married to a woman, bedding a man isn't something which I'm interested in."

Arms settled at either side at him, caging Harry in as Greaback leered down at him. "Oh, so who left who? And you really shouldn't say no before you've tried it at least once. Who knows, you might find yourself addicted to get fucked by another man. I can bring you to heights that that wife of yours never did." If anyone knew about Greyback's attempts to get someone in the bed, the werewolf would lose a good part of his fearful reputation.

"My wife is dead; she was murdered by a werewolf." Angered that someone would think that Ginny and he had willingly separated, Harry trusted his arm forward, heat pooling in his palm. Greyback had long overstayed his welcome.

His hand was caught only inches away from Greyback's chest, in a grip tight enough to leave bruises around his wrist. When he looked up, he found Greyback's face serious, which was almost as unsettling as when the werewolf had been leering at him. "Did ya boy get turned then?" Strangely enough, it didn't sound like Greyback was as happy about the idea as Harry had thought he would be.

"Nah, Teddy got that as a combination of the genes he received from his parents. I was lucky enough to get home before the fucker could touch him. Sufficient to say, he didn't survive the encounter." Harry explained as he freed his hand and stepped under Greyback's arm. He was feeling better now where the temperature had started getting back to a more normal level. In fact, he was pretty confident that he would come out on top should Greyback try something.

But the werewolf didn't do anything other than turning around so he could watch Harry as the wizard moved around the shop, repairing the damage done to the place.

Harry was well aware that he was being watched. Perhaps, if he kept ignoring him, Greyback would get bored and leave. Harry clung to the thought.

Twenty minutes later, Harry could find nothing more to distract himself with. The shop was back in order, the shelf had been repaired, and all the jewellery were back in their proper places, it seemed like Greyback hadn't had the time to take anything before Harry had noticed his presence. Heck, Harry had even taken his sweet time picking off the gold from his leg and hand, leaving his skin red and irritated until it healed shortly after.

Sighing, Harry finally looked over at where Greyback still stood, not having moved an inch from the spot. "Aren't you leaving?" He asked, shifting his weight from one foot to another. Harry knew that Greyback was dangerous, both because of who he was but now also because of what he knew. But this man didn't look like the Greyback who had bitten Bill back in the war. Who was he to say that Greyback would not be able to keep his secret?

Despite his attempt to think positive, Harry was hit by a sinking feeling as Greyback bared his teeth in what was probably supposed to be a smile, though Harry might be wrong about that.

In three long strides Greyback was in front of him, blue eyes staring down at him without blinking. At least Harry was standing in the middle of the room rather than pressed up against a wall this time. "I still owe you a favour." Greyback growled, leaning slightly forward to sniff Harry again.

Harry opened his mouth to explain that he didn't need a favour from the big werewolf; he had only done this to keep his family safe. But Greyback had already stepped back. "Should you change your mind, I can always repay you the way I originally wanted to. Until then, pretty boy."

Feeling his face start to colour at the suggestion as well as the nickname Harry gaped at Greyback, who used the opportunity to leave the shop before Harry could come up with a proper comeback. "Just keep my secret or we'll find out what fried wolf tastes like." Fuming, Harry concentrated and left the shop. He wanted to get home before either of the boys woke up and noticed him gone.

**)00(**

Albus was sitting behind his desk, doing some of the paperwork Minerva had brought him last evening. Even with the school year out there was plenty for the Headmaster of Hogwarts to do. They had to prepare for the next school year where a new batch of students would join them, the Minster and several other important people often wrote for advice, or wanted to discuss something with him, and then he was the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Dealing with Tom, or Voldemort as his former student called himself nowadays, and the boy's followers, also took up a great part of his time. He'd expected that much. It was no different from when he had to go against Grindelwald when his old friend had decided to go down dark roads. Back then he had not had all those duties that seemed more like a hindrance than anything else at times, but neither had he had so many people willing to assist him in his fight for a better future for them all.

His reading of a letter from the Minister of Magic was halted when the flames in his fireplace turned green, and Alastor stepped into the round office. The young Auror had his wand out, his artificial eye scanning the room for traps and possible eavesdroppers, while the real one was staring straight at Albus. "Alastor, my friend, how kind of you to show up. It is not like you to come around at such a time, do you want a lemon drop?" He offered, placing the letter down at the desk. The charms on the furniture hindered others in reading anything of importance. All someone would see unless they sat in his chair would be children's drawings.

Moving away from the fireplace, Alastor started pacing. It almost made Albus dizzy watching the constantly moving and turning Auror. He really wished that Alastor would settled down in one of the comfortable chairs he had for visitors. But whatever had caused the unexpected visit had aggravated his former pupil too much for him to sit down so they could talk properly. "Fenwick is in no way fit to call himself an Auror." Several profanities were grumbled, but Albus choose to overlook them for now, aware that the many portraits were disapproving over the way Alastor spoke.

With a tired sigh Albus righted his half-moon glasses. He had heard Alastor complain about his Auror partner and fellow Order member several times before. However, this was the first time Alastor had wanted him gone. "Now, Alastor, do you not think you are overreacting maybe even just a little? Benjy Fenwick is a professional and has worked as an Auror for many years. Whatever he has done, I am quite certain that it is not as bad as you believe."

Instead of being tempered by the words as Albus had hoped for, Alastor stopped in front of his desk, red faced and with his eye spinning wildly. "He let a highly dangerous criminal go, all because the shop owner stepped up and claimed it was his brother we were about to arrest."

"Maybe it was his brother?" Albust tried to suggest, wincing as his desk shook when Alastor slammed his hands down onto it.

"There is only one of Greyback's kind, Albus. I've been hunting him since I first accepted my badge. There was no way that that guy could have been someone else but Fenrir Greyback, and yet that idiot Fenwick pulled rank on me and ordered me to leave them alone, otherwise he would report me to our supervisor for chicaning a civilian." Alastor pushed himself away from the desk and resumed his restless pacing.

Albus busied himself with righting the stacks of parchments and books, which had nearly been knocked over when Alastor had hit the desk. If what Alastor said was true, it was quite worrisome news he was brought. So far the werewolves had stayed neutral since the upstart of the war. Albus hoped that they would stay that way. Most of them stayed at remote places, far away from other people. And some of those who had been infected were perfectly capable of functioning in society; Remus Lupin was a brilliant example of that.

And there was Greyback and his ilk. The werewolf had made a nasty reputation for himself by attacking children and turning them. Some he left for the family to find at some point, while others he took with him. There was no logic to why he chose some and left others, just like the attacks seemed to be completely random. But because of this behaviour, so many laws about the werewolves went through, and Albus knew that not much more was needed before the werewolves would be joining Tom in hope of bettering their lives.

"Alastor, who was it who claimed to be his relative?" It was a well known fact that Greyback had no family, nor a steady pack for that matter. And being so infamous for what he did, it seemed illogical that someone would step forth and cover for him. Either it was someone entirely unaware of the ongoing in Great Britain, or Tom might have decided to take a step up in his game to recruit the werewolves to his side.

"A Harry Grey, he owns a jewellery store in Diagon Alley." Albus frowned, despite the different first name, it had to be the same who had removed Severus from his home. Because of the school ending and several other things that had filled his time, the stranger had slipped his mind until now.

"Do not worry, I will see what I can do about this Grey." From their first meeting he had been able to tell that the young man was not overly fond of him. Hadrian had been rather stiff and it had only become worse when he had mentioned the reason to why he had come in the first place. Albus could honestly not recall when he had had to leave a shop like that.

"And what about Fenwick?" Alastor pressed on.

"I will talk with him, surely this was nothing but a small mistake from his side." When Alastor's insistent look did not change, Albus relented with a sigh. "Fine, you may check if he has gotten the Dark Mark since you did so a week ago, but do try not to traumatise him so much this time." His plead went unheard as Alastor had already left through the Floo when he had gotten the answer he had wanted.

Suddenly feeling quite old Albus found a fresh parchment. He would call the Wizengamot together so this Hadrian Grey could be dealt with before he became a too big problem. And if Severus really had been abused, Albus was sure he could find a light family willing to take the teenager in and help him heal from the ordeal he had been through.

**)00(**

"Boys, are you coming? It's soon time and I'll rather not have us inside when it happens." Closing his mouth Harry could hear a pitter-patter of small feet running towards him.

Teddy came into view on the top of the stairs, hurling himself of them without an ounce of hesitation. Seeing his godson in free fall, Harry left his place by the door, where he had been standing to prevent Teddy from going out without them. Reaching out, Harry grabbed Teddy before the child could hit the floor. He held his wiggling godson at arm's length, avoiding getting poked by the purple spikes his hair had turned into. "Hawwy, down." Teddy protested, making grabbing motions for the floor to emphasize his words.

Rolling his eyes at the small boy's antics, Harry changed his grip and brought Teddy up to his face. "What have I said about jumping of the stairs like that?" He asked, his heart still beating too fast despite the fact that Teddy was safe in his arms.

The four-year-old scrunched his face up as he thought. "Not to do unless you'we weady?" At Harry's nod Teddy's lips turned into a beaming smile. "Can we go now?"

Placing Teddy down on the floor, Harry stopped the boy from running towards the floor by grabbing the back of his collar. "Not before Severus is here." The whine Teddy produced in return was positively heart wrenching. This close to the moon rising, Harry knew that Teddy could hardly stand the thought of being inside. If Teddy was to choose, he would probably start living outside.

"I am ready." Startled by the voice right next to him, Harry let go of Teddy. The boy cheered before running out, not bother to stop for shoes or a warm cloak.

Both wizards stared at the open door before Harry shrugged. "We better go after him before he gets into something he's not supposed to. Are you warm enough?" Before Severus could answer Harry cast a warming charm on the teen, merely grinning when black eyes glared at him.

"Not all of us are afraid of getting a little cold. It's summer, most people wear lighter clothes instead of walking around looking like they are wearing their whole wardrobe."

Slinging an arm around Severus' shoulders Harry pulled the teen with him outside, closing the door to prevent Teddy from sneaking back in later. "I can't help that my body is so sensitive about that kind of thing. It's just a part of me."

They found Teddy in the yard behind the house, his godson standing completely still with his head tilted back as he stared up at the sky. Harry gave Severus' shoulder a soft clench before letting go. "Stand back. If you remember what I told you, he won't harm you." It was a process he and Teddy had gone through many times before, and Harry couldn't see why this time should be any different, but he would rather not take any chances.

Staying where he was, Harry followed Teddy's line of sight to where the moon was hanging bright and round.

A small whimper drew Harry's gaze downwards so he could follow the transformation of his godson, which had already started.

Teddy shot a head up, and Harry could hear his bones knack as they broke and reset to fit his form. He grew wider and brown hair spurted out from all over his body as his face started to change. The tail and ears appeared at the same time.

All in all the whole transformation lasted no more than a handful of minutes. Yet, Harry felt it like a long torture session as he could do nothing but watch as Teddy whimpered and whined at the pain the whole thing made him go through.

Silence soon reigned as all three males stood still, both Harry and Severus waiting to see what Teddy would do.

Teddy took an audible sniff and turned around, his amber coloured eyes jumping from his godfather to Severus as the tail behind him wagged. Seeing recognition and awareness in those eyes Harry sunk down on one knee and spread his arms.

Teddy didn't hesitate to accept the silent invitation and ran forward, nearly knocking Harry off balance when they collided. Harry laughed, turning his face away when Teddy attempted to wash it with his tongue.

Behind them came a choked sound, almost as if Severus was laughing but tried to hold it back. The sound of it was enough to break Teddy out of his greeting frenzy of Harry, and his head wiped up to stare at the older boy standing near their home.

Harry had no time to react when Teddy used him as a springboard. Not having expected Teddy to do this, Harry turned sharply, but he hesitated. He couldn't do something that would harm Teddy, but neither could he let Severus be attacked, not when Teddy was in a form where he could do plenty of damage, even if it was completely by accident.

But Teddy had landed by Severus' feet, sitting on his haunches with his tail wagging like crazy. "He wants to say hello." Severus, who looked like he couldn't believe that this was a werewolf, granted Teddy didn't look as fear inspiring as the picture in his Defence Against the Dark Arts book, swallowed visibly. His hand was shaking as he held it in front of Teddy's face, prepared to feel pain if Teddy should decide it made a good chew toy.

Teddy closed the last bit of distance between them, taking a tentative sniff of the hand offered to him. Harry watched with baited breath. So far, there had been no one Teddy didn't like in this form when he met them, but they had been people he had known from little. There was no way to foresaw how Teddy would react to Severus.

When Teddy opened his mouth, his tongue slipped out and in the span of just a few seconds Severus' hand was covered by drool. The teen pulled his hand back with a grimace of disgust, but he didn't wipe it clean in a handkerchief before Teddy had bounced off to inspect the garden.

Grinning, Harry got up next to him. "He likes you."

Severus sent him at dull glare. "Indeed." It seemed like the teen could have done without Teddy's way of greeting him.

Before more words could be exchanged, both wizards attention were drawn away from the conversation by the sound of Teddy's growling. Harry's head snapped up, realising right from the start that it wasn't the same kind of growling which Teddy made when he played with something. His godson sounded honestly afraid and angry.

He found Teddy at the very back of the garden, just were the wards ended. On the other side of the creek was the reason to why his godson was aggravated.

Another bloody werewolf stood on the other side of the creek, watching all three with glowing amber eyes.

**So, who's the werewolf? Greyback, Lupin or an OC I've thrown in to mess with you people? Find out in next update.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and until next time**

**Recommended: A Wrinkle in Time by rightforlife **


	5. The second

**Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.**

**Warnings: This story will have slash, violence**

**Beta: Angelhitomie **

Neither of the two werewolves moved as they regarded each other. Even with the creek separating them, Teddy was easily dwarfed by the newcomer. The other werewolf was at least four times as tall and twice Teddy's width. A hit with one of those big paws would probably be enough to cut his godson's head clean off.

Sensing Severus move, Harry shook his head softly, never once taking his eyes off the duo in front of them. "Don't worry; as long as the wards are up, you are safe. And in the unlikely event that they should fail, I will be enough to take care of this. Stay here." Hoping that Severus was better at obeying than Harry had been at his age, he left the teen's side to slowly walk towards Teddy.

If his godson was aware of Harry nearing, he showed no sign of it. All his focus was on the much bigger werewolf. "Teddy, come here, he can't do us anything as long as we stay by the house. We are safe." Their visitor was definitely of the male species. That much Harry could say for sure as both of them were standing on their hind legs, probably attempting to get the other to back off by seeming as big as possible. The fact that Teddy was willing to take on a fully grown werewolf had Harry snorting. His godson had the Gryffindor stubbornness, that much was for sure.

One of Teddy's ears flickered back at the sound of his voice before quickly resuming its original position. The other had apparently deemed him a non-threat and had all his focus on the small werewolf that was trying to warn him off its territory.

Harry stopped not far from where Teddy was, watching as the werewolf lifted its arm and reached out. It was forced to stop at the creek's middle were the wards stopped it from getting any further. Harry was almost willing to claim that it was pouting, which looked completely wrong with his wolfish features when the werewolf found that he could move his arm no further.

The wards started hissing when the pressure didn't relent and Harry started forward again. First he would get the boys back into the house, then he would deal with their unwanted visitor and show why it wasn't a good idea to show up here uninvited. And tomorrow he would have a talk with Ragnok about how safe their home was when a stranger could show up without any warning.

"Teddy!" His godson had apparently decided that he'd had enough and could deal with the intruder on his own. In one jump Teddy had crossed the creek, passed through the protection the wards provided without a second of hesitation. The other werewolf moved out of the way, easily avoiding the attack so Teddy crashed to the ground with a painful sounding thud.

Green and amber eyes met for a short moment before the werewolf got down on all fours and disappeared back into the forest. Harry would have been inclined to let it be if not because Teddy had gotten up and decided that he was not done yet, and ran after the other werewolf ignoring Harry's call.

"Severus, get inside the house. I'll come back when I have Teddy!" Harry yelled over his shoulder before he ran through the creek, wincing as the water seeped through his footwear and the lower part of his jeans. He couldn't just jump over it like Teddy had done. A sprained ankle would be a hindrance until it healed, and he could not afford to waste the time it would take.

He was surrounded by darkness from the moment he stepped in between the trees, not even the moon's light could reach down to him. Aware that it made him an easier target than he already was, but also knowing that it was necessary Harry dug his wand forth from the pocket he normally kept it in. "Lumos."

The light from the tip of his wand created a circle around him, enough for Harry to see where he was going. At least he wouldn't fall over a root sticking up from the ground or run into a tree.

"Teddy!" A howl further ahead told Harry that he at least was on the right course, and that his godson was still alive. Encouraged by the last thought, Harry lengthened his strides until it felt like he was flying instead of running. He was annoyed that small branches and thorns tried to hold him back, but each time Harry pulled himself free, uncaring if he ripped clothes or skin in the process.

Harry suddenly found himself free of the trees and under the light of the moon as he entered a glade. Both Teddy and the other werewolf were there, his godson on his back and a paw on his larynx kept the boy from wiggling around. Those sharp teeth were too close to his godson's barren stomach. In one movement they would be able to rip him open.

The wizard dropped his wand, the light going out even before the stick had hit the ground. Any spell he could use against the werewolf would most likely effect Teddy too. Harry refused to let his godson ever go through the experience of what it felt like having ones blood turned into liquefied silver.

So instead Harry continued running straight at the pair, even as the duo noticed his arrival. Just a few feet from them, Harry jumped forward, at the same time he let the flames out so they engulfed his whole upper body and turned him into a rather strange looking fireball with legs.

He hit the silver coloured werewolf in the side, heard him howl in pain as he tumbled away from Teddy to get away from Harry.

Harry clung to the high grass, using it to stop his roll while he was still between Teddy and the stranger. No doubt he had just done something that made the situation go from bad to worse. A wounded werewolf was far more dangerous than usual, but it had been the only way Harry could think of that would keep Teddy safe.

Sore from the collision, Harry stood, putting out the fire in the grass, the last thing he needed was for it to spread and start of a forest fire. "Stay behind me, Teddy." There was a hardness to his voice which Harry knew that Teddy would follow no matter what. Normally, Harry would not use such a voice against his godson, but after the scare he'd just had, he needed to be sure that Teddy would do as told.

Teddy whined but Harry couldn't tell if it was because of his tone of voice or because the kid had been hurt. He couldn't exactly turn and see for himself as the werewolf had gotten back on his feet, watching Harry with a snarl.

Up this close, Harry realised just how big the werewolf was. It was much bigger and broader than Remus had been, and he didn't look as hungered as Remus had the one time Harry had seen him in his wolf form.

Keeping both eyes on the werewolf Harry directed the flames so only his arms were covered by them. While less of a defence, the flames were easier to control like this, and he might not accidentally burn down a part of the forest this way.

A cold breeze sent a shiver through Harry's body. The flames had burned away his robe and the shirt he had been wearing beneath it, leaving his upper body unprotected as the warming charms had been placed on the clothes in the first place. He wasn't worried about Teddy seeing him like this. The boy had been his scars and strange additions whenever Harry had had to help him bathe.

And it was not like the other werewolf would be able to tell others about this, Harry would make sure of that.

Crouching down Harry was forced to hold his arms high above his head because of the mid thigh tall grass. At the current point only his hands were on fire, but the light they provided him with was more than enough to make sure Harry had no trouble keeping an eye on the silver furred werewolf. He was pacing one way and then another, either looking for a way to get around Harry's flames so he could get to Teddy, or he was trying to decide what angle was best to attack the wizard from.

"Fuck!" Seeing the werewolf rush at him was all Harry could do not to move out of the way. It was far more frightening than when Teddy had decided the first time to do a run and greet. Only, this one no doubt had malevolence intentions, and if Harry moved away, he would leave an open path to where Teddy was.

So instead Harry stood up in his full height, swinging his hands in front of him as the werewolf came closer in a worrying speed. Shifting his stance so he had a better balance, Harry thrust both hand forward, creating two columns of fire that speed towards the werewolf.

A string of swearwords slipped out of him when his target dodged to the side without losing any of its speed.

Finding the werewolf right up and close to him, Harry cut off his flames when he saw the paw swinging at him. Despite his own quick reaction, Harry wasn't fast enough to move out of reach. The sharp and slightly curved claws caught him in the chest, creating several deep and long gashes over his upper body, starting by his left shoulder and ended at the opposite hip.

Grasping at the sudden pain Harry stumbled backwards as he hunched over himself, his breath shallow in his attempt to not aggravate the wounds as he felt warm blood running down his body. Harry knew that he was making a mistake, but he couldn't help look down himself and blink slowly. With all the blood running down his chest and stomach, it was impossible to see exactly how bad the damage was. Nothing important seemed to have taken a hit, but if the bleeding wasn't stopped soon, he would most likely faint because of the blood loss and if that happened, he wouldn't wake up again before his body was done repairing itself.

It would take too much time, so Harry supposed he would have to wait passing out until this situation had been dealt with.

Hearing Teddy's panicked whine Harry snapped out of the daze he'd slipped into. Apparently the werewolf had decided that Harry was no longer worth paying attention to, and was walking to where Teddy laid in a luscious pace, intend to finish what he had started when Harry had interrupted them.

"Oh no you don't." Harry growled, moving his hands from where they had been pressed against the gashes to stop the bleeding. He wouldn't allow the werewolf to lay another claw on his godson.

Already feeling the effect of losing his blood Harry rushed forward, intent on stopping the werewolf before he could get to Teddy. He wasn't prepared for the werewolf to turn around and face him, blood smearing out on his right paw, the one he had stuck Harry with, but the wizard continued onwards, refusing to be deterred.

Once again Harry ran straight into the werewolf, feelings its arms close around him in a way that could almost be mistaken for a hug, if not for the claws digging into his back.

As pain coursed through his body at the additional wounds, Harry lifted his head and managed a smile, though it probably looked more like a grimace than anything else at this point. "Gotcha." He cracked out, letting the heat and flames out so his body was once more on fire, quickly spreading to the werewolf before the other had a chance to pull away from him.

He was ripped off and thrown away as if he was nothing more than a rag. Harry killed the flames on his person just before he hit the ground. The pain was rolling through his body from the wounds and his hard landing. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and rest until he was fully healed. However, he was well aware that it was not a possibility just yet.

While the werewolf was busy trying to put out the fire that had caught its fur, Harry lifted himself up, his arms shaking under the strain of his own weight. Looking around Harry found that he had landed not far from where Teddy laid and he couldn't help himself as he gave a cracked smile at the worry that seemed to ooze out of Teddy. "Don't worry, Teddy, I just need to rest a little and then I'll be right as rain." He promised, breaking into a coughing fit that made his chest and back spasm in pain.

When the coughing subsided, Harry found that Teddy had stood and was slowly making his way to where his godfather laid. Seeing the child up and about sent a bout of panic through Harry. "You shouldn't move, what if you've been hurt?" Harry said, but he still reached out when Teddy came close enough, running a hand through the brown fur, well aware that he was adding his blood to the mess that was already stuck to it. But Teddy would be given a bath when he returned to his human form, so Harry wasn't too worried about that right now.

He sighed in relief when his search for wounds came up without result. At least Teddy had gone through the ordeal without getting hurt, at least nothing Harry could see at the current moment.

Harry became aware of the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards them when he felt Teddy stiffen against him.

Biting back a groan of pain, Harry sluggishly rolled around. While he could feel the healing start to kick it, it was a slow go, both because of how much blood he had probably lost at this point, but also because he felt so dammed cold. His body was shaking and Harry couldn't tell if it was because of the wounds and pain, or because he really needed to get warmed.

He bit back another groan upon seeing that the other werewolf was slowly making its way towards them, the wounds it had sustained so far slowing its movements. It had apparently put out the flames by rolling around on the ground. But from the many burn marks and its heavy breathing, Harry would say that it was not much better off than him. Though, if the werewolf wanted to continue their fight, Harry wasn't sure he could convince his body to do it.

He was honestly surprised that the werewolf froze in its tracks when he lifted his hand and pointed at it. What did it think he would do, shoot flames out of his fingertip? If it attempted to attack them, he certainly would. "Don't come any closer." Harry slurred, fighting to keep his eyes open even as Teddy pressed against his side. Why did his eyelids have to feel so damn heavy?

Harry stared, not quite sure he hadn't already passed out or was hallucinating, when the werewolf dropped to the ground and started belly crawling towards them. "Huh?" Harry wasn't sure how else he should voice his confusion. The sight before him was so much like Teddy acted when he knew he had done something wrong and the boy knew that he would be scolded, that Harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. "What are you doing?" Was it trying to trick him? To get close enough to make an ambush? Harry really didn't know what to think.

When within reaching distance the werewolf rolled onto its back, not seeming to take notice of its own wounds, barring its belly just like it had forced Teddy to do. From next to him, Teddy whined again, not making a move to leave Harry's side. It seemed like his godson had managed to run off his extra energy for tonight.

Deciding to see if it really was the same as with Teddy, Harry let his free hand run over the werewolf's stomach. He was fully prepared to have his arm bitten off, though it would be interesting to see how lycanthropy would react to the mix in his DNA. Instead, the werewolf opened its mouth and let its tongue loll, looking utterly sated with how things had turned out.

Snorting, Harry shook his head, regretting the move as it seemed to make the world tilt more than it already did. "Okay, big guy, make yourself comfortable." Harry mumbled surprised that the werewolf actually did as it was told.

Harry knew he wasn't able to go home in his current state, and Teddy was too small to help him. So Harry curled up against the big werewolf's side, sighing as the heat from the other body helped loosing up some of his muscles. He would just rest until he had healed up enough to make the track back to their home so he could assure Severus that they were alive and well, at least somewhat.

"You try anything, and I'll set your tail on fire." Harry warned as he closed his eyes.

He didn't know if the werewolf gave any kind of response. The last thing Harry was aware of was Teddy settling down against his back and then he slipped into unconsciousness.

**)00(**

Harry came back to awareness with the feeling of being on a boat. The rocking motions had him frowning, because Harry was pretty sure that he didn't live near water, and the creek wasn't big enough to sail a boat.

How strange, the last thing he could recall was falling asleep against the werewolf that had lured Teddy out of the safety of the garden. Harry made a mental note to find a way to prevent that from happening again. Teddy could be rather unwilling to listen when he was in his wolf form and Harry didn't need him to run off to Merlin knew where on a whim.

Feeling the warm sun against his face, Harry's eyes snapped open as he realised that he had been out of it far longer than he had originally intended to.

He was still in the forest, the trees tall and standing close, though Harry wasn't in the clearing he had fallen asleep in any longer.

The reason behind the strange rocking motion was because Greyback was carrying him, the werewolf topless, but a quick check told Harry that he was wearing the same pants as he had when they had met in the shop.

"Where is Teddy?" He couldn't see his godson from where he was. Could Greyback have killed Teddy and then taken off with him? It didn't make sense to Harry why Greyback would kill Teddy and leave him alive, but last night had been strange anyway so why shouldn't that have happened?

"Hawwy, I'm hungwy." Harry craned his neck to a nearly impossible angle to be able to look at Teddy. The child was dressed in what Harry recognised as Greyback's shirt, after all, Harry's had burned up, it reached well part Teddy's knees and most of all looked like a dress to the kid. For each of the steps Greyback took, Teddy had to take tree to keep up with the other's long strides.

Seeing his godson whole, healthy and happy was enough to make Harry smile tiredly. "Don't worry." He broke off to yawn. "I'll make you something when we get back home. Where are you taking us by the way?" Greyback might not have killed Teddy, but Harry couldn't say for sure that the man was above kidnapping them.

"Your home, you need some rest in a real bed." It might just be a part of his imagination, but Greyback actually sounded worried, either that or he was in pain from the burns on his body. Harry found the latter more likely. Most of them had formed crust, but even with a werewolf's healing abilities, they would need to be tended to.

A thousand questions seemed to bounce around inside his head, not helping with how he currently felt. There were so many things he wanted and needed to get answers to, but with Teddy within earshot, Harry was hesitant to ask. He was not sure how Teddy could take this so calmly, walking besides Greyback as if everything was in the finest order. What had Greyback said or done to his godson while Harry had been unconscious?

"I can walk on my own." Harry spoke, managing to sound more sure than he actually felt. His own wounds had closed, and Harry deemed that it would be no more than an hour, maybe two, and then they would be fully gone.

"You lost a lot of blood. All you are doing is going straight to bed and sleep."

Though it seemed tempting, Harry had no plans of following the command. There were plenty of things he had to do before he could lie down and rest. "I heal fast." He protested, ignoring the fact that his argument sounded like Teddy, when his godson didn't feel like going to bed. The feeling didn't lessen when Greyback snorted and Teddy copied the sound. Harry scowled, but Teddy just smiled at him, ignorant to Harry's ire. Whatever hostility that had been between those two yesterday was completely gone by now.

He would have to talk with Teddy about why they did not trust dangerous criminals. Unless said criminal probed to be your godfather, who was, in fact, innocent. Such details changed the matter entirely.

"No one can heal from that ordeal without feeling some effect." Replied Greyback as the house came into view. Harry breathed out deeply seeing that the house was still standing. As Severus was nowhere to see, Harry assumed that the teen had done as told and was waiting for them inside the house. At least one of his kids could follow orders.

Greyback stopped just short of stepping into the creek; perhaps he could remember how he had been denied access when he had tried last time. Harry wanted him to try and enter again. When not in wolf form, Harry was sure that Greyback would become more effected by being electrocuted than he had showed signs of last night.

"Thanks for the tour and have a nice life, please don't bother my family again. I promise that you won't enjoy the consequences of that." Harry said as he tried to roll out of Greyback's hold. But instead of letting him fall, the grip changed so Harry was kept pleasantly close to the warm body.

"You don't plan to let your own brother stay out here, all alone in the wild, do you?" Greyback laid emphasis on the words, and Harry didn't need to look at Teddy to know that the question was worrying the child. Really, he should have known that helping someone like Greyback would come back and bite him in the arse.

Running a hand over his face, Harry knew he had to deal with this before it was allowed to go out of hand." Teddy, why don't you go in and find Severus? I'm sure he will be more than happy to make you something to eat. We're speaking adult things anyway, no fun at all."

"Oh, I am sure that we will have plenty of fun, especially if we do it the adult way. In fact-" Greyback fell silent when Harry placed a hand on his lower stomach, not warm enough to cause harm, but enough to that the werewolf would understand the message.

"Don't even think that kind of things in front of my kids, or I'll make sure that not even your werewolf healing can fix you when I am done with you." Harry hissed his voice low enough so Teddy didn't hear what he said. When Greyback did not react, Harry moved his hand slightly down and watched with satisfaction as the other man grew abruptly pale under his tan. "Teddy, weren't you hungry?" His godson pouted, but in the end the black hole that tried to go for being his stomach won.

Harry followed Teddy with his eyes the whole way until the child disappeared around the corner of the house. Hopefully Severus was in there and would be able to entertain Teddy for however long this would take, though Harry fully intended to make it as short as possible. And Teddy's appearance should also assure Severus that they were alright.

"Let me down." Greyback didn't protest or simply let go of him as Harry had expected. Instead the man got down on one knee and placed Harry on the ground more gently than the wizard had thought him capable of. It was only when he was handed his wand that Harry remembered that he had simply dropped it before he'd jumped Greyback. A rather stupid decision now when he thought about it, but at that time it had seemed like a logical choice. "Thanks." He found it necessary to say it. After all, Greyback hadn't had to pick the wand up and had spared Harry from having to search for it. Besides, Greyback could easily have snapped the wand and this time Harry didn't have the Elder wand to fix it.

Grunting, Greyback flopped down next to him, much closer than Harry was happy about. But the wizard ignored it in favour of using a few spells to clean himself of blood and dirt. With the most of the dried blood gone, Harry could see that the wounds were further along in the healing process than he had thought they would. Or perhaps he had been knocked out for longer than he had originally thought. The wounds were nothing more than red swellings at this point, and while gruesome looking, they would not take long to heal. Though he could not see his back, Harry suspected that the wounds there were in a similar state.

Deciding that he would get no cleaner without an actual bath, Harry turned to Greyback with narrowed eyes. The man wore the exact same trousers, and Teddy had run off with the shirt, as he had when Harry had first seen him. Those clothes needed to be washed, though Harry was more tempted to bin them, and Greyback was in no better state. But knowing his limits, Harry had to restrain himself. He doubted that the big, bad werewolf would take it kindly if Harry dragged him inside the house to be bathe and shrub him clean.

Besides, it wasn't like Greyback was his responsibility.

"How did you find us?" Harry supposed that it was as good a place to start as any other. If there was something that gave away their location, Harry would be having a serious talk with Ragnok about the security the goblin had promised. He didn't need people like Dumbledore, Voldemort or anyone else for that matter, to show up at his door. That would hardly be the peace Harry had wished for.

He noticed that Greyback was looking at him, but not once did the other make eye-contact. It was unnerving, and Harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to make out of it. The simple gesture was almost submissive, though Harry did not dare to voice that thought. He wasn't looking for another fight between them. "The forest is perfect to shift in, since no pack has claimed it, and the Aurors don't think of searching something so far from human establishments." Considering what Greyback's favourite prey was supposed to be, Harry supposed he could see the logic behind the Auror department's choice. Why waste good people to chimp through some remote forest in Scotland when it was more likely that the one they searched for probably would be haunting the cities?

"Imagine my surprise when I caught the scent of another werewolf in those woods." Greyback carried on speaking, not noticing Harry's wandering thoughts. "I wanted to see who had dared to come here, and show them their proper place. Had I known that it was your pup, I might not have bothered. At that point, I just saw another werewolf, albeit a very young one, and two humans, nothing I wouldn't be able to handle."

Harry's eyes narrowed and at the point he had to breathe carefully to not accidentally let out some flames. "You wanted to establish yourself as Teddy's alpha." He was quite glad that he had followed Teddy, the thought of his sweet, little godson having to follow Greyback's lead was not something Harry ever wished for. Teddy was not becoming homicidal before he reached his teens.

"Yeah." Greyback admitted without an ounce of shame. "But you interrupted before the bond could be settled, alpha."

"Thanks God for that, you wouldn't survive if you had managed that." Harry said, bopping his hand until he realised what had just been said. "Wait, why are you calling me alpha!?"

Greyback looked at him directly for the first time since Harry had awoken, though he was still not meeting the hybrid's gaze. The grin made Harry squirm, though it had more to do with the fact that those teeth were much too sharp to belong to a human, had he used a file to get them like that? "I had already won over the pup when you attacked me. My wolf decided we were better of submitting to you rather than being burnt to death. I must admit, I can think of worse people to follow, alpha."

Harry stared at Greyback for long moments, trying not to let his growing panic show. "You are serious, aren't you? Oh my God, you are!" He buried his face in his hand, trying, and probably also failing, to keep his growing despair at bay. Why did those kinds of things happen to him? First Severus, and now Greyback apparently considered himself a part of the family, pack, whatever they were supposed to be. "All I want is a peaceful life." He groaned, Greyback no doubt hearing the words clearly despite Harry's voice being muffled by his own hands.

The snort from Greyback had Harry looking up, ad his glare did nothing to erase the man's bemused expression. "Perhaps, if you did not attempt to play the hero, this would not have happened."

Really, it was hardly his fault. How could he let the Aurors drag off with Greyback, though he had not been aware of his identity at that point of time, when he knew how the Ministry treated werewolves? As for Severus, it had kind of been a spur of the moment decision, there hadn't really been much time to think before he had acted.

Perhaps Hermione had been right when she had said he had a saving people problem. Harry still thought it was simply short moments of insanity, and this had to be a proof of that.

How Harry wished that Hermione was there, she would know how to get him out of this mess. First she would whack him with one of those thick, dusty tomes she always carried around for getting into trouble in the first place, but afterwards she would have a brilliant plan ready.

"Can't you just, you know, ignore the whole thing? Act like it never happened?" Harry asked, well aware that he was grasping straws right now.

The look on Greyback's face told Harry that the other was aware of it too. "No, the wolf and I are one, since it has decided that you're fit to be our alpha, then so it is. It makes life easier for me this way. Besides, I still owe you for helping me with those Aurors."

Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Harry groaned. "Fine, but can't you at least stop calling me alpha?" Maybe having Greyback around wouldn't be so bad? As long as Harry could ensure that he didn't overstep any lines, Teddy might benefit from having an actual werewolf in the family.

"Sure I can, pretty boy."

This time Harry didn't try to correct Greyback, he had a feeling that the other would find something worse to call him, and it would be used in front of the boys too. "Okay, well, welcome to the family, Fenrir." Harry stressed out the name, hoping he might teach the other to use his name through this way. "If Teddy suddenly increases his attempts to bite people, I'll fry your arse."

He knew his warning was taken serious, even as Greyback's eyes glinted with mirth. "With all that talk about my arse, I would think you're actually inclined to take me up on my offer." Fenrir said as he stood and stretched.

"You better check the temperature in Hell before you think that will happen." Harry grumbled even as he accepted the hand offered and let it pull him to his feet. "How about we get inside? I don't like how quiet it is." Besides, he supposed he could introduce the newest addition to their family so there would be no misunderstanding at a later point.

Fenrir followed him over the creek, and this time the wards did nothing to stop him, the werewolf half a step behind him. Though the books had been biased, Harry had read those he could get his hands on so he would have an idea of what to deal with as Teddy grew up. If he recalled correctly, it was meant as a show of respect at his apparent position. But this was Fenrir Greyback, notorious murderous werewolf and so on. Even with his ability to heal, Harry couldn't help feeling rather nervous by having Fenrir walking this close.

How was this his life?

They were met with the sound of Teddy's delighted laughter when Harry opened the door, and he felt his lips twist into a smile. After last night's happenings, it seemed even more relaxing to hear his godson so joyful and carefree.

Leaving his shoes by the door, and gesturing for Fenrir to do the same, Harry headed for the kitchen where the sound seemed to come from, only to halt in the doorway, Fenrir nearly walking into him.

One thing he had learned from the Dursleys was how to clean. And while Harry knew that he was far from as obsessed as Aunt Petunia had been - he liked to see that people lived in the house - his kitchen was kept clean.

But right now it looked like a bomb had exploded in the room.

What looked like dough was on the floor, walls, his kitchen cabinets, and a bit of it was even on the ceiling, though Harry wasn't sure how it had gotten there in the first place. It could be another burst of Teddy's accidental magic, that wouldn't be the first or last time it caused some form of havoc.

Harry's gaze found Severus by the store, holding a pan and a spatula while his face was carefully void of any kind of expression. Teddy was seated by the table, still dressed in Fenrir's oversized shirt, and looked entirely too happy about the whole situation. Somehow his youngest had avoided being hit by any of the dough, but considering what else clung to him after their tour in the woods; it didn't make much of a difference from the rest of the room.

Clearing his throat, Harry smiled, noticing how a little of the tension had bled out of Severus' shoulders upon seeing him. If not because he was getting used to watch the teen for these signs, he would probably have missed it. "So, boys, this is your Uncle Fenrir, who has decided to come on an unannounced visit." He stepped aside, allowing Fenrir to get into the kitchen. Being inside made Fenrir seem much bigger than he actually was. Perhaps it would have been better if he'd called the boys outside to make the introduction.

Well, it was too late to ponder upon that.

"Expelliamus!" None of them was prepared for the spell that hid Fenrir square in the chest with enough power to knock the man off his feet and send him flying out of the kitchen, only to stop when he hit the side of the stairs with a loud crash.

Winching at the damage the attack had no doubt created, Harry deliberately decided not to check up on Greyback. He shouldn't be too affected by a spell of that level. Instead Harry turned to look at Severus, who had turned a worrying pale shade, but had moved so he was standing next to Teddy, his wand held ready. "While it's good to see that you know your spell, why did you do that?" Harry asked, glancing out in the hallway to see that Fenrir was picking himself up from the floor, and while he seemed no worse for wear, he might be looking a little murderous.

"That is Fenrir Greyback, a dangerous were- criminal." Severus cut himself off with a glance at Teddy, who looked entirely unconcerned about what was happening, amusing himself with drawing figures in the dough within his reach.

Harry couldn't help it. Seeing Fenrir so easily taken off guard by a kid not even out of Hogwarts had him laughing so hard that he doubled over, cradling the still sore muscles in his chest. It didn't get better when Teddy shook his head. "Uncle Fen is ouw uncle, like you'we my bwothew, and not my sistew." The child explained as if it was the most logical thing in the world, easily accepting what Harry had said.

Seriously, he wished he had a Pensieve so he could view moments like this over and over. It felt good to be able to laugh like this. But a Pensieve cost an arm and a leg, literally, and Harry wasn't interesting in finding someone he could take it from so he wouldn't have to lose his own for one.

Sobering up, Harry stopped Fenrir before he could enter the kitchen. He didn't want the other near his kids just yet; blood was such a bother to clean up, even with the help of magic. "We are all Greys." He said, making sure to keep Severus' gaze locked with his own in hope that the teen would understand. Harry didn't care if it was a dangerous criminal on the run from the law, or a potentially snarky Potions professor, if they were family, then it was the end of the discussion.

By the way Severus' shoulders slumped, Harry knew that the teen had seen the point, or he just didn't want to waste time and energy on arguing when Harry's decision was already made. It was a nice change from his school time, Harry could definitely get used to this.

"So, what happened in here?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus looked ready to demand some answers on his own. However, Harry's question had him pushing his lips, a blush spreading on his pale cheeks. "Teddy came in and demanded pancakes. He said you were talking with an uncle, so I assumed you would be fine."

"The way Severus' eyes did not move from his torso had Harry frowning. Hadn't he managed to clean the blood away? Granted, the scar tissue was still there, but why did Severus seem more fascinated than worried then?

Oh right, he wasn't wearing a shirt or something else to cover his upper body for once, meaning that one of changes done to him was visible for all to see right now.

Looking down himself, Harry used his hair to hide his embarrassed expression from the kids. The scars were an angry shade of red, but that was definitely not what had caught Severus' attention, or at least not kept it for long.

Black scales, each no bigger than his pinkie nail, covered his hip bones and stopped around his navel. Those scales went down his legs and covered a great part of his back as well as his shoulders. Because of those things, and how much a little coldness could affect him, Harry had made sure that his body was properly covered all the time. It was just another change that had occurred to his body after he had come back from death at seventeen.

But as annoying as it was to make sure that they were always covered up and out of sight for others, Harry had found that those scales had saved his life on several occasions. While not as tough as a dragon's scales, they were definitely harder to penetrate than normal human skin. If not for those, the damage of Fenrir's attack might have been worse than it had been.

Now where he thought about it, this was actually the first time Severus was seeing this. Harry supposed it made a difference from hearing his guardian telling about how he was different from other people to actually see it with his own eyes.

At least there was no screaming involved, Harry wasn't sure he would have been able to deal with it if that had been the case, not after the night he had had.

Taking another look around, Harry tried not to smile too wide. Severus might be a Potions genius, but Harry fully planned to have him banned from working in the kitchen. After seeing this mess, Harry wasn't sure that Severus should even be allowed near a stove ever again. For one who preferred order and cleanness in a Potions classroom, Severus sure knew how to make a mess elsewhere.

Severus looked down on the wand in his hand and what little colour that was left on his face disappeared completely. "I used magic."

Harry blinked, confused. Severus was a wizard, so of course he could use magic. Why did he make it sound like it was such a big thing that he had done so? Harry wanted to smack himself when he realised what Severus meant. Instead he went to the distraught teen and placed a hand on his shoulder, waiting until he had Severus' attention. "This house is owned by a wizard, thus you are allowed to use your wand for chores and practising what you're taught in school. Besides, with the wards around this place, you could go trigger happy with the Unforgivables, and the Ministry would probably not be alerted about it." Realising what he had said and who was in the room, Harry hurried on. "But that doesn't been I won't get mad if I find you messing around with something illegal.

There, he sounded like the responsible adult he was supposed to be.

"The Ministry has not outlawed all kinds of Dark magic." Damn, he had forgotten he was dealing with a Slytherin. And why was Severus pointing it out to him instead of going behind his back and then use the argument later, when he was discovered?

Not letting go off Severus' shoulder Harry still smiled. "True, but I trust you to be able to tell the difference between playing around with dangerous magic and bending the rules because there is no other way around it." Merlin knew that Harry had done that plenty of times himself. Not even becoming an Auror had broken him out of that habit.

He just hoped he wasn't making a mistake by doing this, but if he wanted to keep Severus away from Voldemort, he had to let the boy know he could trust him. And acting like all Dark magic was the worst thing to use would only drive Severus to keep secrets from him. No, this was hopefully the way to do it.

Letting go of Severus, Harry clapped once. "Okay, now where you have gotten the chance to meet and greet, Severus why don't you take Teddy with you upstairs for a bath while I prepare some breakfast for us all?" Severus pursed his lips, not looking the slightest inclined to follow Harry's suggestion. Luckily, Teddy didn't have the same problem.

The Metamorphmagus jumped down from his chair and grabbed one of Severus' hands, not caring the he was smearing dough out wherever he touched. "Sev, I'm hungwy." Teddy announced as he pulled a reluctant teenager along.

If looks could kill, Fenrir would already have kneeled over with the glare Severus sent him. It was clear that his oldest was not as inclined to trust the stranger as Teddy had been. Perhaps Severus was the only one in the house who could claim to have any sanity left. Harry was pretty sure that his own had left the day he had learned he was a wizard.

"Don't you dare to take another step!" Harry snarled, wiping his wand out and pointing it at Fenrir. The werewolf froze, one foot midair from where he had been about to step into the kitchen.

Fenrir slowly moved back until he had both feet planted on the other side of the doorstep. Harry couldn't say which of them was most surprised. Fenrir for the shift in tone, or himself because the command was followed without the slightest protest. This alpha thing seemed to have its good points if it meant he would be listened to. "After the boys are finished, you are taking a bath too. You're not stepping a toe inside my kitchen before then." Harry explained and started banishing the mess Severus had created in his attempt to make pancakes.

"Oh, is it because my masculine scent is driving you crazy and if I don't cover it up with one of those flowery smells you probably have for yourself, you fear you might give in to temptation?" Despite his words, Fenrir did not make an attempt to step inside the kitchen, much to Harry's amusement.

Harry rolled his eyes, Fenrir flirting, or whatever he was supposed to call this, was getting old, fast. "No, I'm saying that you stink. I already made it clear that you are not my type. My house, my rules, and if you want something to eat you better play by them."

"I can think of games we can play. If you came with me into the bath, I know we will both end up having a good time. Luckily for you, bossy is exactly my type, I so enjoy making them submit to me."

This time Harry couldn't prevent the heat from rushing to his face. It was a good thing he had already sent his boys away; Harry would rather not have them overhear this kind of talk, especially not from someone who was supposed to be their uncle. It would be troublesome if one of them started using this among other people, though Harry was fairly sure that Severus knew better than to do so.

Teddy, on the other hand, had yet to create such inhibitions.

Turning around to berate Fenrir when his face had somewhat returned to its original shade, Harry huffed upon finding that he was alone. It really didn't surprise him that Fenrir had decided to make himself scarce while Harry was looking the other way. Hopefully Fenrir would take the bath, because Harry was entirely serious about the not getting food unless he was properly cleaned part.

Turning back to his task, Harry frowned. He had no idea if it was wise to let Fenrir into their family, but somehow that was what had happened. No he would do his best to do damage control, which would undoubtedly be necessary in the future and hope that his kids wouldn't be negatively affected by this change.

**)00(**

"What news do you bring me?" The vampire curtsied deeply, looking up at him through her eyelashes. She had improved since the last time he had seen her, looking as perfect and sultry as was the way of her being. There was not a trace of grief over her brother's death. If not because he was able to read the small signs, Voldemort might have thought that she had forgotten all about it.

"I have successfully gotten contact to some other vampires, we share the same creator and they understand my grief." Wanda reported, never once looking away from him and only blinking a few times, as if she had to remind herself of the action. It seemed that the time spent with her own kind had made her forget some of the ways of the human.

Voldemort returned the look with his newly turned red eyes, a small side effect from the latest Horcrux he had created. "It has nearly been a month since you were sent out, and yet you bring me nothing, no proof of your alliance with anyone, no news, not even a rumour to entertain me with." He said his voice far more calm than he felt at the moment.

Aware that she had angered her Lord, the vampire sunk down on the floor. "I'm sorry M'Lord. But despite our shared bonds, they do still not trust me. And the king has been vacant lately; rumour has it that he has found something that caught his interest. But he has isolated himself, not even those closest to him know who or what it is." Wanda fell silent, a rather wise choice since her voice was granting on his nerves. The way she looked at him had Voldemort sneering inwardly, though his face remained impassive. Did she expect him to clear the patch for her so she did not have to dirty her hands with a little hard work?

If she continued to be a nuisance, he would have Wanda disposed off. It was thoughts for later though, since she was his only link to the vampire community, no matter how weak it was.

"I will give you one more chance to prove that you are not a waste of my time" Voldemort watched her go completely still upon his words. Good, it seemed she at least was able capable of remembering what happened to those who had displeased him. Though, he would not be feeding her to Nagini, his familiar's dingiest system would hardly react well if a vampire was added to her diet. "Go back to your Coven, do what you have to do to ensure that they will trust you. And pray that you have results to show me the next time I demand your presence."

"Of course, M'Lord. I promise that you will not be disappointed." She curtsied and was out of the library before more could be said. Voldemort briefly considered if she would have the bravery to show up the next time he called for her.

"_How are you, my dear_?"

Nagini, who had been dozing on her pillow by the fireplace, lifted her head to look at him. "_I feel strange, hungry_."

So far there seemed to be no unwanted effect from the ritual he had performed last night. Neither had Voldemort expected that there would be, but nothing could be said for sure when magic was involved. "_One of the house-elves will bring you something. Remember, it what is on the plate, not them, I do not wish to hear Abraxas complain about losing more of his servants_."

"_If they were faster, I wouldn't catch them_." Voldemort decided to not comment and instead ran his nails over her scaly head, hearing her hiss in pleasure. Transferring a part of his soul to another living being had been much more successful than he had dreamed of. It hadn't been done before, at least not successfully, but he had managed it. And so far it seemed to have no ill effect on either of them.

One day, he might attempt going through the ritual with another human being. Like Nagini, they would be able to protect his soul piece unlike the objects he had started out with. But such a plan would mean that he had to place trust in a single human, and so far he had found no one, not even those that so obediently followed him, worthy of such a thing.

"_How is the hunt for your mate going_?" Nagini's voice interrupted his musings. She had been hoarding him about the subject ever since finding out about the Elemental, and so far he had not been able to discourage her of the notion.

"_He is a possible ally, not a mate_." He explained, one day her reptile mind might understand the difference. Though, if it meant getting the Elemental to join him, Voldemort would not disregard the idea.

Given how silent it had been on that lead lately, Voldemort knew he could not let the subject stay as a main focus. The Elemental might simply have been passing through. It was also possible that he was out there, hiding somewhere and waiting to be found by someone who understood how to make use of his powers.

Voldemort supposed he could prolong the search for a few more weeks. It would do him no harm, especially not if there was an Elemental to find in the end.

**)00(**

By the time the boys came down from their baths, Harry had brought his kitchen back in order and prepared enough food to satisfy the hunger of two werewolves after the full moon, a teenager and himself.

He wasn't surprised when Teddy made a bee line for the table, scrambling onto his chair before he tore into the nearest dish with meat on it. It was a small miracle that the boy had held out for this long without any real complains.

As Teddy proceeded to make a mess out of himself anew, Harry wondered if he shouldn't have waited with ordering them to take a bath until after the meal. But at least his kitchen was clean, his godson had no longer leaves in his hair, and both of them were dressed in clean clothes, though Harry's had been spelled to be so.

Turning around Harry nearly ran into Severus as the teen had been standing right behind him. "May we talk?" After a glance in Teddy's direction he added. "In privacy." Severus gave no hint of what he wanted to speak about and he was looking away, even if Harry knew how to use Legilimency, he would not have been able to gain information that way.

"Sure." He said, though Severus had already gone to the foyer, apparently he had been secure enough to not wait for Harry's answer. From there Harry would be able to keep an eye on Teddy, and they could speak without worrying about the boy overhearing their conversation. Though, with how occupied Teddy was with eating, Harry was fairly sure that he would not hear a word even if they had been standing right next to him.

Leaning against the banister and holding his hands behind his back Harry raised an eyebrow at Severus. "So, you wanted to talk?"

"What happened last night that kept you away?" It was only when the question had been asked that Harry realised how it must have been for Severus. He had spent the night alone, unaware if anyone would be returning at any point, and then Harry had just showed up as if there was nothing wrong in the world, dragging Fenrir in after him.

Severus had probably not slept a wink last night, and Harry was frankly surprised that he hadn't been cursed upon entering the house.

Feeling a burn in his eyes, Harry grabbed Severus by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug before the teenager could protest. He felt the other stand stiff against his body, but the fact that Severus had allowed the action and didn't seem too busy escaping from his hold brought a small smile to Harry's lips.

When he was quite sure that no tears would fall, Harry let go of Severus and stepped away. While Severus' expression hadn't changed, Harry still found it hard to believe that the other wizard was as unaffected as he tried to portray. "Sorry about that." He said, not elaborating what he meant, and Severus didn't ask.

"Fenrir uses this forest during the time of the full moon. Last night he caught our scents and decided to investigate. Long story short, he tried to make Teddy submit to him. I freaked out and now I am apparently his alpha." Harry explained, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. At least he had summoned a new shirt, so Severus could not see the scales on his body move as he did so.

"And somehow attacking Teddy led to you taking that man home. Do you have no sense of self-protection? What will stop him from killing us in the middle of the night?"

"Because he is my brother and alpha. You don't attack someone from the same pack without a very good reason, pup." Both wizards looked at where Fenrir stood in the doorway to the living room. If not for the wards making it impossible, Harry would have believed that he had Apparated inside the house without a sound.

Or maybe Fenrir was just really good at sneaking up at people without being noticed. And Harry would drop the thought before he could think of what the werewolf might have used such a skill for.

Severus moved slightly, so he was now standing a little in front of Harry. Honestly, at least Snape had been subtle when protecting Harry, but Severus made no such attempt at being so now. Not that Harry needed to be protected, he was confident that he could fry Fenrir's arse if he needed to. It also hurt a little that Severus did not trust his words, or maybe it was really Fenrir that he did not trust. "And we are supposed to just believe your words for it? I am sure you can see why that will not be happening."

Fenrir moved fast, and suddenly he was standing up and close to Severus, looming dangerously over both wizards, though his gaze did not move from Severus. "Someone who betrays their pack is nothing." He snarled a mere inch from Severus' face and Harry was impressed that Severus did not seem fazed by the potentially danger he was in.

Harry watched both, wondering if he was supposed to intervene. The heat was rolling faster through his veins as the fire was eager to be let out once more. It seemed like his stunt hadn't been able to still the fire inside him for long. He would soon need to let more out if he wanted to avoid accidents.

Holding Severus' gaze for a moment longer, Fenrir pulled back with a snort. "You would make a fine werewolf, pup. Now, don't cross me and we'll get along just fine." That said Fenrir stalked past them and up the stairs, most likely to find the bathroom.

Shifting, Harry sent Severus an awkward smile as Fenrir disappeared over the top of the stairs. "So, how do you like your uncle?"

The look he got in return convened exactly what Severus thought of this.

**Sorry about the wait, I went down with pneumonia, which was really not a fun experience. But thanks for those lovely reviews; they made me smile when I could get away with using my computer. Seriously, who bans someone from using a computer just because they are sick?**

**Though I am happy, since someone actually managed to guess what Harry is, congratulation for being the first, you know who you are. **

**Recommended: MidnightEmber's stories is definitely worth more than just a look.**

**Happy reading**


	6. Meetings

**Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.**

**Warnings: This story will have slash, violence**

**Beta: Angelhitomie **

So hot.

The flames were all around them, colouring the thick smoke red and orange where it was closest. Breathing was a torture on its own. Each intake of air made it feel like his throat and lungs were melting from the inside, and the smoke made his eyes sting and water.

He was on his stomach on the floor, a heavy body resting on top of him. From the way it didn't move he knew the other was already dead. Anyone standing so close would not have survived the attack he had unleashed. Though, he hadn't expected it to take so much out of him as it had.

Coughing, and instantly regretting the action as it didn't help his lungs but made the burning sensation worse, Harry rolled the scorched body off of him. It fell to his side, giving Harry a good view of the charred body and what was left of the face. It seemed like the idiot had had enough time to figure out that he would not get out of this alive and feel the pain, before he had died.

Harry couldn't find it in himself to feel sorry for that.

The smell of burnt meat had Harry turning his face away. He felt drained; really he had not expected it to be like this. Then again, Hermione had warned him that letting flames out without preparation was a bad idea. He needed training with it, more than the few attempts he had made since finding out how to produce flames out of nothing.

Even if he did find the energy to move, Harry wouldn't. He had been too late to save his family. He had failed. It was only fair that he let the fire take him; he supposed it would be less painful than to try and stay alive after this.

Rolling onto his side brought him face to face with Ginny. He had not even realised how close they were before now.

Her once so lively and expressive brown eyes were staring emptily ahead, seeing nothing. Her mouth was slightly open; giving away the surprise she had no doubt felt when she had found that someone had intruded their home. She hadn't even had a chance to defend herself. The Healer had advised against using magic at this state of her pregnancy, and thus Ginny had hidden her wand away, fearing that she might give birth to a squib should she give into temptation and use a few spells because it was easier that way.

Now Harry wished that they hadn't listened to that dammed Healer. Then Ginny's throat might not have been slashed, and her blood would not be mixing with her long, Weasley red hair.

Harry looked away. If he stared too long, his eyes would stray to where her hands were still against her stomach, trying to stop the stream of blood from where her lower abdomen had been ripped open. Now their child was probably already devoured by the flames, but it wouldn't have survived outside its mother's body without immediately professional assistance anyway.

Not far from there, barely visible through the smoke, laid Andromeda and the witch had not gone down without a fight. As the only one with a wand, Harry assumed that she had caused the wound he had found on the murderer. It hadn't saved her from being finished off with a dagger deeply planted in her chest. Another of the Black sisters had left the world for good.

Looking around in almost a daze, Harry frowned. There were three dead bodies in close proximity, one of them caused by him, but there was one missing.

Where was his godson? Where was Teddy?

Panic spread through him together with a slight sliver of hope when Harry's eyes couldn't spot the child anywhere. It was enough to convince Harry that he had to get moving.

Trying to stand, Harry quickly realised exactly how bad an idea that was and sank down so he was close to the floor again. If he wanted to breathe, he would have to stay down where there was less smoke and thus it was easier for him to breathe.

He hadn't seen Teddy once since returning home, but it was midday, so Teddy should have been put down for his nap already. Chances were that he was still in his bedroom, unharmed and waiting for someone to come and get him.

Keeping close to the floor, Harry bypassed the still bodies, determined to find Teddy, and, if his godson was alive, a way out of the burning house.

Harry heard the rumble from above him. The sound was quickly growing in volume. Disregarding all thoughts about moving with care Harry jumped to his feet. He stumbled slightly and ran towards where he figured the door was.

He threw himself out of the door just as the ceiling, weakened by spell damage and the fire, gave out, burying the bodies beneath it. If Harry had stayed in there, he would have been trapped beneath the rubbles together with them.

Smoke and heat billowed over him, and Harry screamed in pain, both the one in his heart and the more physical one.

His throat still tingled from the scream when Harry found himself back in his own bed. The light from the moon slipped in through his uncovered window, providing Harry with just enough light to make him realise where he was.

This was his home, albeit not the one he had shared with Ginny, but the new one. There had been no fire, and his family was safe. Close to no one knew they were here, and the wards would alert him if someone tried to enter without his permission. And give them a nasty shock as Fenrir had experienced when he had first showed up.

Though, he would have to talk with the goblins. If the wards couldn't stop a werewolf from trying to enter, they would have to be turned up. The next time something like that happened, he wanted to discourage people from attempting again.

After a few calming breaths Harry rolled out of his bed. His heart was beating too fast, sending adrenaline through his body to prepare him for an unfounded fear, and Harry knew that he would get no more sleep tonight.

Not bothering to change out of his nightclothes, Harry left his room. He needed to check up on the others, even when he knew it was nothing but a dream, memory, whatever.

He went to Teddy first. His feet led him to the foot of the small bed without Harry thinking over what he was doing.

Teddy was sprawled out over the mattress on his stomach and snoring softly. For once his hair was soft brown and curly. Harry assumed that it was Teddy's natural hair, as he had only seen it when the child was deeply asleep. So far, he hadn't been able to figure out what Teddy's eye colour might be; it tended to change every time he awoke.

But Teddy was safe. In here there was nothing that could reach them, nothing that could potentially hurt them, unless he let Severus near his kitchen again.

Smiling softly, Harry pulled away. He didn't want Teddy to wake up just because he hung around when there was no need for him to be there.

Severus' room seemed like the exact opposite of Teddy's. Here there were no toys to be spread over the floor, and Severus' belongings, annoyingly few as they were, were lined up in their proper places. While Harry preferred cleanness, it didn't mean that Severus had to follow him in that regard. Then again, it might just be the way Severus was, orderliness was probably a trait appreciated by Potions makers.

This time, Harry didn't pass over the doorstep. He had already discovered that Severus was a light sleeper, and, really, there was no reason to why others should be awake just because he could not sleep.

In his sleep Severus looked completely unguarded, and it brought a soft smile to Harry's lips. He tried to imagine Snape hug a pillow like Severus was doing, and bit down on his knuckle to stifle his laughter. The professor wouldn't have scared him so much if Harry had known this little fact back in his first Potions class. To think that Severus Snape was a cuddler.

Shaking his head in silent amusement, Harry pulled back and closed the door. Now where he had seen that both of his charges were fine, Harry felt a great deal better than he first had done upon awakening. This house was their sanctuary, and Harry would make dammed sure that it would stay this way. As long as he was still alive, he wouldn't let them have a reason for that to change.

Harry was moving carefully as he passed the last door before coming to the stairs. It was the room Fenrir had been given, and Harry really didn't want him to know that he was up and about. Dealing with Fenrir's perverted banter and wandering hands were bad enough at daytime. Harry really didn't want to find out what Fenrir might attempt to do when there was no one to walk in on them.

So he continued downstairs to the kitchen. He didn't need to check up on Fenrir at least. His supposed big brother could take care of himself and didn't need Harry to look after him. Besides, with his sharpened senses, Fenrir would probably wake if Harry tried to open his door.

Going through the kitchen cupboards Harry found the things he need for a cup of warm milk, and it was not long after that he had the milk in a pot on the stove. It was a night time ritual he had done so many times by now that he could do it in his sleep.

Then again, if he was asleep, he wouldn't be warming the milk in the first place.

"According to studies in America, the average human needs eight hours of sleep per night." Not having heard anyone coming down, Harry had his arm raised for an attack as he turned away from the stove. Severus was standing in the doorway, much like Harry had when he had been to the teen's room. Harry had to turn back to the stove quickly as the milk started to boil, but it was just as much an excuse to hide his smile from Severus, whose hair was mused and he had sleep marks on his face from where he had pressed his cheek against the pillow.

"I think we have already established that I'm not quite like the average person." Had he ever been? "Do you want some?" At Severus' nod, Harry got another cup before splitting the milk between them and adding a generous amount of honey. "So, what are you doing up?" He asked as he handed Severus one of the cups.

"I heard you move around. Why did you make this?" It seemed he had fallen off on sneaking around since Hogwarts. Even without his Invisibility Cloak he had been a master at sneaking around. It was a skill he had learned while living with the Dursleys.

"One of my friends made this for me whenever I couldn't sleep." Harry said as he sipped the warm blend. The taste brought back memories of those times he had come down to the common room after a nightmare, or simply because he hadn't been able to sleep. Never had Dobby failed to provide him with hot milk mixed with honey and something to snack on. Despite his misguided attempts to save Harry's life, and thus often putting him in more danger than the wizard had been before, Harry was proud of having been able to call Dobby his friend.

Perhaps sensing that it was a sensitive subject, Severus did not press for information. Harry had to admit that he was impressed. There was so much he could not share with Severus without lying, and yet the teen did not ask questions as Harry had feared he would.

Glancing at the clock, Harry frowned. At three o'clock in the morning it was too early, or late depending on how one looked at it, to do anything. But he would get no more sleep, and by the looks of it, neither was Severus.

"Come." Harry placed his cup at the counter and grabbed Severus by his sleeve, giving the other no choice whether he wanted to follow or not. They went to the foyer, and Harry stopped by the side of the stairs. The door looked the exact same as the one that had led to his cupboard. Really, he needed to do something about its looks. It would just take a spell, and then it would be fixed.

But that would have to wait for a later time, for Harry was aware that Severus was starting to look rather sceptically at him. He was probably wondering what they were doing in front of the cupboard. "Well, in we go." not relenting his grip on Severus' sleeve, Harry went in and pulled him along.

They went down the stairs, and lamps lit up along the way, allowing them to see where they went. Harry truly loved how magic made things so much easier at times.

At the bottom of the stairs Harry stepped aside, allowing Severus a full view of the room. "What do you think?"

The basement proved that the house had belonged to someone magical before Teddy and he had moved in. Though not an expert on the matter, Harry could still recognise a Potions laboratory when he saw one. It didn't quiet look like the classroom in Hogwarts. The basement, while big, was meant for two or three people, with the opportunity to work on multiple potions at the same time. Big granite counters were next to the open fire-pits, so one didn't have to move far between the working place and the cauldrons. The shelves and cupboards were mostly empty, though Harry was not too worried about that. He had a feeling that Severus would prefer having a say in what ingredients were chosen anyway.

His own things had been moved to the shop, so all what was needed was whatever ingredients Severus deemed necessary, and he could start making potions to his heart's delight.

Harry wasn't sure how he had thought Severus might react to this surprise, but the sceptical look he received certainly wasn't what he had thought he would get. "Why are you showing me this?" Severus was watching him warily. Did he believe that Harry was showing him this just to tell him that it could not be used, or that Harry would expect something in return for allowing him access to the Potions laboratory? Damn, it seemed like they were not over this point, though Harry had hoped that Severus would have a little more trust in him by now.

Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Harry shrugged. "You seem like you are interested in Potions, so I figured that we might as well put this place to use. I do have a few demands though." While Severus visible brace himself, Harry got the feeling that the Slytherin expected some unfair rules to be laid out for him. "Any potion you want to make, you have to research properly before you start the process. No illegal potions, unless it has been approved by me. Either Fenrir or I have to be in the house when you brew in case of an accident. And Teddy is not allowed down here without adult supervision." Harry listed off on his fingers, trying to see if he was remembering it all. "Oh, any school work and chores have to be finished before you can work here. And you've to attend the meals and abide your bedtime, but that should be it." There, now he sounded like a responsible adult, Hermione would be positively surprised if she could hear him right now.

"And I can make any potion I want?" The glint in Severus' black eyes were probably meant as a warning. If he wasn't careful, Severus would drain him for every coin in a Potion making spree. Still, it warmed him quite a bit to know that he had done something which he was fairly sure that Severus liked. Well, at least he would make good use of the basement.

"As long as you follow the already stated rules, I fail to see why not." Harry said, absently pondering if the Basilisk would be any good in a potion. Knowing that the snake would be roaming in pipes and Severus would return to Hogwarts by summer's end did not sit well with him. In his own time line, there had been no deaths or no one had been petrified between Riddle's sixth year and Harry's second. Really, there was nothing that led Harry to believe that it would be any different this time.

Only, with his kind of luck, someone, probably a Hufflepuff, because honestly no one expected them to do anything wrong, would set the Basilisk loose by accident while they were looking for the kitchen.

So, he would find a way to get into Hogwarts, either by sneaking in or have Severus help him with that. It just had to be done without Severus finding a way to follow him down to the Chamber of Secrets. Seriously, Harry did not even want to try and imagine how Severus would react upon meeting his house founder's pet. Yep, he would definitely find a way to deal with it which would not involve Severus.

"We are going to Diagon Alley today, so if you want to, you can go and see what the Apothecary offers." It was a shame that he could not simply tell Severus to buy whatever caught his eyes. While they were by no means poor, he didn't have the wealth he once had. But when he had refused to hand Teddy over, the Ministry had posted people outside Gringotts to ensure that he could not get inside the bank. And since he and the goblins had not been on good terms since the dragon incident, Harry hadn't been able to do business with them unless he went through his lawyer, a man who had been watched by Aurors when Harry had been forced on the run.

It was good to know that the money would not go to those idiots whom had tried to take Teddy away from him. His wealth would go to his closest magical blood relative, and while Harry had no idea of who it would be, he very much doubted that it would be the Weasleys. By some twist of fate, the money would most likely go to Malfoy; oh Harry would love to see Ron's face if that happened.

**)00(**

When they emerged from the basement the sun had risen, and Severus and Harry were no longer the only two up. Getting into the kitchen, Harry found that the food was already on the table, though neither of the two seated there made a move for the dishes. Fenrir and Teddy were in a deep staring match and neither as much as twisted when the two wizards stepped into the kitchen.

Teddy was rather red faced, matching his current hair colour, making Harry wonder what had happened to make his godson so angry.

Sharing a look with Severus as they took their own seats, Harry knew that he was not the only one wondering about what was going on. His butt had barely touched the seat before Teddy reached out for the bacon, only to be stopped by Fenrir's growl. Huffing, the child pulled back and crossed his arms in a sulk.

"What, exactly, is going on here?" Harry's voice had an edge to it despite him trying to keep it even. Placing food in front of someone and then denying access reminded him a little too much of one of the Dursleys' favourite punishments for him.

"In a pack, no one eats before the alpha has taken the first bite." Fenrir explained, not once conceding his glare.

Harry pinched his nose. Really, Fenrir hadn't kicked up a fuss about it yesterday. Then again, when the werewolf had come down from his bath, Harry had been munching on a piece of toast, so perhaps Fenrir had thought it had been done the way he apparently expected it to be. "We aren't a pack but a family. If people are hungry, they are free to find something to snack on. Unless it's about mealtime, because they shouldn't spoil their appetite. But the point is that we don't withhold food."

Fenrir nodded grudgingly; obviously not happy with Harry's decision. He should have thought of that before deciding to make Harry his alpha. But Teddy squealed in joy, filling his plate with gusto before he dug in.

Despite Fenrir's lack of protest, it did not escape Harry's notice that the other did not touch the food before Harry had started eating. "So, we are going to Diagon Alley today, you want to come along?" It was only after asking that Harry realised how stupid the question was. Fenrir was a known face, and he could probably not walk down Diagon Alley without being recognised. Harry could easily imagine how well that might go.

"Nah, I've got some things to take care of. It shouldn't take long, but better get them handled." Harry opened his mouth to ask exactly what Fenrir had planned on doing before closing it again. He had the feeling that it was not something young ears were supposed to hear.

"Good, the wards will let you in when you return, but anyone else will be heavily discouraged from trying to enter." The last thing he needed was to come home to find that a whole pack of werewolves had moved in. They would eat him out of the house before the week was over.

"Sev, why were you in the basement? Hawwy says it's no go." Teddy piped up.

"There is a Potions laboratory down there. Harry wanted my opinion on it before it is taken in use." Severus answered as he buttered a piece of bread.

Harry got an ominous feeling when Teddy's hair changed back to the blue mohawk. "You can blow things up?" After his godson had been babysat by George, Harry wasn't surprised that it was such things Teddy related to Potions making.

"Among other things, but potions are much more than that. With potions, you can capture fame, brew glory and even stop death." It sounded so much like what Snape had given in the first Potions class, only much more passionate and friendly than Snape had delivered it. When he finished it was clear that Teddy had been lost along the way as he was staring blankly at the teenager.

Smiling, Harry caught Severus' attention. "Try again in a few years, and you might have better luck convincing him that there is more to Potions than explosions and pretty colours." Besides, Teddy's lack of balance meant that he was a possible danger, and Harry had learnt from his Potions lessons that nothing more was needed to trigger a catastrophe.

Neither Harry nor Severus needed long to dress and not long after breakfast the trio stood out in the garden. Fenrir had already departed, wandering off in the direction he had come from, and Harry was left wondering what Fenrir had to do. But as long as he did not seek out Voldemort to rat them out, Harry was sure that it was nothing to worry about. He didn't even know if Fenrir had entered Voldemort's service as of yet. He would have to make it clear that it was not accepted here. No matter what Voldemort promised to better the lives of werewolves, Harry was sure it would not be worth the price he would demand in return.

All three were properly dressed, Harry had a few more layers than the boys to keep himself warm, both he and Severus had their wands on their person. Leaving the house without those was out of the question, and he had no intention to demand that Severus left his behind. Not only would Harry personally hate being without his own wand, but he had a strong feeling that he would end up regretting it if he attempted to separate Severus from his wand.

Drawing his boys close Harry took a moment to adjust Teddy's hat so all of his hair was hidden under it. "Remember, we will appear among Muggles, so better not give the Ministry a reason to send Aurors after us." Receiving the duo nods in response, Harry let a bit of the heat out and focused on their destination. Small flames sprung out around his feet, but Severus didn't seem bothered by this. If anything, the way the flames were being eyed made Harry uncomfortable. The last time he had been looked at like that was when Hermione had found out he could make flames without the aid of anything.

The next moment they appeared in a side alley across the street from the Leaky Cauldron. This time a hobo was slouched in a corner between an overfilled trash can and a wall. He was snoring but even if he had seen them he would probably have written it off as a drunken hallucination if the smell of cheap alcohol that radiated from his person was anything to go by.

Scrunching his nose Harry pulled them out in the open, Severus was only too willing following along and Harry could easily picture what kind of memories the smell might have brought forth. Unfortunately, they were out among other people, Muggles to make it worse, so Harry could not slip off and have a loving conversation with Tobias, this time without having to worry about nearby kids seeing his loss of temperament.

He didn't expect to be stopped before they had made it through the Leaky Cauldron, especially not by the waitress whom had given Harry the idea for his job. "Mr. Grey, are you here for another meal?" She chided cheerfully, easily moving through the crowd to get to them. Her eyes darted to Severus, probably wondering who he was. With how many who passed through the Leaky Cauldron each day, she probably didn't know him.

"So, has Jeffrey proposed yet?" By the way her face suddenly lit up, Harry knew he had his answer. "If you want to, you can come by the shop later with your boyfriend, perhaps find something you like." Going by her squeal, Harry knew that she would indeed be stopping by at some point.

Waving at Tom, who was giving him a mock evil eye, at least that's what Harry assumed, for making sure that the girl wouldn't be able to concentrate for the rest of her shift, they passed through the Leaky Cauldron without further hindrance.

"I think we should split up." Harry said as he dug through his pockets with one hand while he was stopping Teddy from running off with the other. It was lucky that Severus did not behave like that, though Harry supposed he would put up with the annoyance if it meant that he got to see it.

"I have a meeting with Ragnok in Gringotts, and it is probably going to take a while, so why don't you two find something to do?" He fished a handful of coins up from his pocket and handed them to Severus. "Just don't leave Diagon Alley, don't let Teddy out of sight and when you are done come to the shop, we are ready to open."

"At what time do you want to meet again?"

Harry hesitated. No doubt that Ragnok would want to negotiate the price for the raised security, if he was even willing to acknowledge that such thing was necessary in the first place. "Give me a couple of hours and then I'll probably be ready to open the shop. But take your time, and don't leave Diagon Alley. And Teddy, Severus has the command, so listen to what he says." Harry ruffled his godson's hair, knowing that Severus would not be quite as accepting if Harry tried to do the same to him.

With a wave to the boys, Harry went to Gringotts, bypassing the routine guards stationed by the door before he went inside.

"James!" The woman's voice rose easily over the pleasant morning buzzer inside the bank. Falling back into his Auror training, Harry started scanning the crowd. It was most likely a child that had wandered too far for the yeller's liking. Though how someone could get lost at a time where the bank was barely half full, well when he thought of some of the stunts Teddy had pulled, Harry supposed that he should not be surprised if a child should slip away at the first opening it got.

"James, you know better than to try and ignore me, young man!" This time the voice sounded right behind him and Harry spun around, wondering if the kid had decided to use him to hide behind.

Only, there was no kid to be seen when he turned, instead a woman, presumably the one who had called out for James, glared at him in a way that caused Harry to take a step back before he could stop himself.

Blinking a few times, Harry stared at the tall woman in front of him with shiny, long black hair in a cobalt, full body dress with frills around the neck. She had grey eyes that would probably be large if not because she was glaring disapprovingly at him. Her red painted lips were turned downwards in disapproval, but even that couldn't dim the woman's beauty, even though she was quite a few years older than him, probably with enough years between them so that she could be his mother.

"May I help you, Madam?" A hand reached out, to touch or grab him, Harry didn't know, but it was enough to make him take another step back so he was out of her reach. "I would appreciate it, if you do not try and touch me."

Her hand fell and a frown fitted over her face before it was replaced by a determined expression. "Don't think that I cannot recognise my own son, I don't know how you got your hands on an Aging Potion, but if you don't explain how you snuck out of the manor, you will be grounded for the rest of the summer. And I swear to Merlin that if you used your father's cloak, you will not be seeing Sirius or your other friends before the school starts again."

Harry blinked slowly, wondering if he could make a run for the exit without being hexed or the Aurors being called. What little he'd had to deal with the law enforcement here already was more than enough in his opinion. "Since both of my parents died when I was a kid, I really doubt that you could be my mum." Harry coldly informed her, trying to ignore the great deal of features the woman shared with his late godfather. And if the names were anything to go by, this woman was someone he had dreaded and looked forward to get to see.

Grey eyes travelled up and down his body, and Harry had to force his muscles to relax. It would not do to let any of his sudden nervousness out, less he wanted to make the witch more sceptical than she already was.

He certainly didn't expect her to give a small smile that softened the lines in her face. "I apologise. You share an uncanny likeliness to my son, and he gets into more trouble than there are days in a year. But where are my manners? I am Dorea Potter."

Convinced that his panicked heart beat could be heart by everyone in a radius of ten miles, Harry managed to give her a smile that didn't feel too forced. "Hadrian Grey." He said curtly and took another step back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business that needs to be dealt with." At some point Harry might have loved nothing more than the chances to sit down and get to know his possible grandmother, but Harry knew that it wasn't possible. She didn't know what her parallel her could have been to him, and it would stay like that.

Feeling her gaze bore into his neck like hot drills, Harry walked to the nearest line, hoping that she would not follow along and try to strike up a conversation. All he wanted was to create as much distance between himself and the witch in case that she decided to have him looked into. But departing from the bank without having finished his businesses would probably raise more suspicion than if he simply carried on as he had originally planned to.

It was a good thing that the boys hadn't followed along. Harry could easily think of what questions Severus might come up with after witnessing this small confrontation. And Teddy had the tendency to let his mouth run, though luckily he hadn't said anything of importance so far.

It was worrisome that she so easily had drawn comparison between him and James, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Too many people had seen him, and if he suddenly did something to change his appearance, questions would be raised and Harry didn't need that.

Sighing as a person left the line; Harry was allowed to move one step forward. He hoped that the boys were having a better time than him.

**)00(**

Moonstones, Unicorn hairs were too expensive, the dragon claws too. He could gather newt eyes perfectly well on his own, and they were best freshly picked anyway, so he did not need to spend money on those.

The last time he had felt such excitement was when he had stepped through the door for his first Potions lesson, but this was a whole other thing, and could hardly be compared. Even if professor Slughorn sung praises about his talents in the subject, his selection of potions to brew had been pitifully limited. Harry had basically given him a free pass to make whatever he wanted, as long as he cleared it with his guarding first, but Severus could definitely deal with that. At home those blasted Marauders would have no chance to attempt and spoils his potions, which was another plus in Severus' book.

Though he was still confused as to how Harry had known that he was interested in Potions, Severus was not going to look the gift horse in the mouth this one time. He might have picked up the main subject of most of Severus' reading choice, though it still didn't explain why the older wizard had trusted him with such a prize. For all his guardian knew, Severus could be abysmal when it came to the practical part. Not that he was, but that was not the point Severus was trying to make.

"Teddy, if you touch that with bare hands, you will get a terrible rash and boils on your hands and whatever skin you happen to come in contact with." While the child might be too young to understand the fascinating aspects of Potions making, it would not stop Severus from try and impact him with knowledge. Perhaps, when Teddy got older, Severus could teach him the pros and consequences of altering the instructions in one's Potions course book.

Teddy froze where he had been standing on his toes, trying to reach a jar with dragon breath. The shop owner was an incompetent idiot who was just waiting for an accident to happen. Not only did he keep unstable ingredients within reach of curious hands, but dragon breath was supposed to be kept in containers made of diamonds, which this one was not. So it was only a question about time before it would blow up.

He really should take his business somewhere else; those people had clearly no idea of what they were doing.

"It seems like I was incorrect in my assumption that the Muggle would hinder you in coming here before school was about to get back in session." Not having heard anyone come near, Severus startled and nearly lost his grip on the jar of rat tails he had held up for closer inspection.

Placing the jar back on the shelf, Severus raised an eyebrow as he moved to face Lucius, aware that Teddy had decided to hide behind him and kept an uncomfortable tight grip on his trousers. It was certainly not like Teddy to act shy all the sudden. Had he been startled as well, or was there another reason for him to act like this?

"Lucius, I was not aware that you had returned from the States already."

The blond, only a handful of years older than him, huffed. "I have finished my apprenticeship and saw no reason to stay any longer. While father was right about those people being quite successful in their chosen field, they sorely lacked manners. And to think, that some of their ancestors migrated from here."

"I see, it is good to hear that you enjoyed your stay." He carefully observed the blond, not having seen the other since his graduation ceremony from Hogwarts. Until now all conversation between them had been by owl but he could not say that his friend had changed much since then. Pale blond hair framed a pointed and equally pale face. He wore a black and silver trimmed cloak. Evidently Lucius had not suffered during his stay aboard.

"Yes, though I am quite sorry to hear about your mother's untimely death. Despite her choices, she was still one of us, you have my condolences." Severus clenched his hand, careful to hide it in his sleeve. It was not surprising that Lucius viewed Eileen Prince's marriage with Tobias Snape as a betrayal to their kind. It was most likely only their friendship and the presence of a child that stopped him from saying something outright insulting. "But who is the young boy you have with you?"

Severus hesitated. It was not that he did not want to introduce them to each other. Lucius had been his friend and protector since he had entered Hogwarts, and he had many connections that could be useful. But Lucius followed beliefs which Severus knew that Harry did not approve of, especially not if Teddy was influenced by them.

"I'm Teddy, fouw-yeaw-old."

Lucius bend down slightly, not looking annoyed that Teddy had butted into their conversation without being properly introduced. "I am Lucius Malfoy, heir of the Malfoy family." He nodded to the child. "It is good to meet you."

Teddy regarded Lucius for a while before crossing his arms with a pout. "My Hawwy is a Lord, are you my new sister?" It was said with such childish innocence that Severus felt the corner of his lips twist upwards the slightest. Though no one had dared to say it to his face, Lucius still had some feminine features, although it had been much worse when he had been younger.

The fact that Teddy claimed Harry to be a Lord weighted far more on Severus' mind. Was Teddy making this up, or had Harry not seen it fit to share this piece of information with him? Judging by what he knew about his guardian's character, Harry probably viewed it as unimportant.

It could be because of someone having killed his wife, perhaps Harry feared that more would be after him and was thus hesitant to use his rightful title and the benefits that followed with it.

Lucius straightened up with a pinched look on his face. "For your information, I am very much a male, little boy." He hissed out, and glanced around to ensure that no one had overheard the conversation.

Teddy looked completely unaffected by the rebuke. "So, you'we not Sev's giwlfwiend." The child said with a pout, almost as if he was disappointed. Severus pinched his nose, trying to not sigh. He did not understand where Teddy's obsession with having a sister came from.

"I am already engaged, and even if I was not, I would only be in a relationship with someone of equal standing, who could benefit my family." Teddy nodded gravely, as if Lucius was impacting him with great knowledge.

"If you are done here, I propose we move on. I am most interested in hearing what is going on. It seems like a lot of things have happened since your last letter. If you do not have other things planned, I would like the possibility to catch up." Lucius offered as they made their way to the counter where an elderly, dour looking wizard was glaring at Severus, as if expecting him to run off without paying for the goods. A ridiculous thought, seeing as there was not much of worth in this shop.

Ringing it all up the cashier pulled his thin lips into a pleased smile. "It'll be nineteen galleons and seven knuts." Apparently, the cashier hadn't forgotten the last time Severus had been by, where his thoughts of this place had slipped out because he had not been careful. Perhaps he should find somewhere else and finish his purchases there. But despite its fault, this was the best place to get the ingredients he needed unless he went to Knockturn Alley. And he could not drag Teddy along there. There were other times he would need to test how much trust Harry had in him.

"I am quite sure, that if you do it again, you will find that you have miscalculated." Lucius spoke while Severus was counting the coins.

The stay in America certainly had done nothing to Lucius' confidence, other than giving it the opportunity to grow bigger than it had already been. "Don't know who you are, whelp. But this is my shop and I know what I'm doing."

"Oh really." Severus recognised Lucius' tone from when the blond had dealt with the Marauders as a prefect. "My father will be most interested in hearing how you treat your customers. I have no doubt that he will seek other places to get ingredients for Malfoy corporations once he hears how you treat one of our future Potions masters. How sad, many people will follow us once they hear we are no longer doing business here. I'll give you a month before you are out of business, but that is only because I am feeling generous."

The cashier had paled rapidly during Lucius' small speech, finally realising who he was dealing with. The hair alone was hint enough to what family Lucius came from, though Severus supposed that the Lovegood family had a similar shade of colour. When Severus got to pay, it was half the price of what he should have parted with in the first place. "If you get your supplies from here, I suggest that you find someone else. That man has no idea of how he is supposed to store those things. By the point someone buys something from in there, it will spoil the potion you intend to use it for, unless you know how to save it."

Lucius had helped him, and like every Slytherin, he would do no such thing without expecting something in return. It was a naive thought that this little warning about the shop would be enough, but he let Lucius know that he was open for negotiation. It was better to get it over with before Lucius had time to think of something he really wanted, and Severus might be less inclined to give him.

"I know. Father only uses it as a cover while we get more volatile component from elsewhere. But it stops people from asking unneeded questions."

Grabbing the back of Teddy's shirt, Severus effectively stopped the child from running off to Merlin knew where. It was only when Lucius continued to give Teddy not at all subtle glances that Severus looked down. It was no secret that Lucius was not overly fond of children, and, if he could get away with it, he would gladly ignore their existence entirely.

The fact that Teddy's hair had changed from ink black to stark white easily explained what had caught Lucius' interest.

Looking up to meet Lucius' gaze, Severus arched an eyebrow. He knew the other had questions, but Merlin would be dammed if he would be the first to speak. As if sensing his reluctance, Lucius pursed his lips. It was far more animated than Severus was used to see the other behave when they were out in public. "Why do you not explain how you ended up with a little one?" A far too loaded question for Severus' liking. On the other hand, the information Lucius was asking for was hardly a secret.

To both wizards' surprise, Teddy spoke up. "Hawwy didn't get me a sistew but I have Sev, he's my bwothew now." Teddy glared at Lucius, as if daring him to speak back, his hair changing back to black.

Feeling that he better say something before Lucius drew his own conclusions, or worse that Teddy said something he was not supposed to. If Teddy did not learn to watch his mouth, he would never do well in Slytherin, and Severus absolutely refused to let his brother be placed in Gryffindor when time came for Teddy to be sorted. Black and Regulus were a perfect example on what happened when brothers ended in such opposite houses. Not that those two had had much of a relationship in the first place from what Severus had been able to put together.

"You know how my situation was back in that place." He said as they slowly walked down the street, refusing to call it home. Spinner's End had only been worthy of that title while his mother had still been alive. Lucius did not bother to comment. He had been aware of Severus' situation since escorting the first year to the Hospital Wing to get his wounds looked at. That was the first time Severus could recall someone else besides his mother and Lily showing concern for him.

It had made it all the harder to convince Lucius not to tell anyone of where the welts on his back had come from. "Hadrian knew my mother and came to pay his respect to her." Actually, he had not yet figured out what Harry had been doing at the graveyard in the first place, other than searching for a place away from curious Muggle eyes. "He met Tobias and convinced him to hand over guardianship to him. I have been living with him, Teddy and Hadrian's brother since then."

Fenrir... it was better to keep the werewolf's identity a secret for now as Severus was still not sure of what he should do with him. Harry had made it pretty clear that Fenrir was supposed to be a part of their family, pack, whatever they were supposed to be.

Severus was hesitant to believe that anything good would come out of this arrangement. Fenrir was a convict; he was unstable and had already proved that he was willing to kill someone by the first chance presented if the rumours were to be believed.

But as much as he disliked the man, even Severus could not deny that there were some upsides by having Fenrir with them. A werewolf's senses and body were far above that of a simple human. He had connections, even without a pack, and Severus had no doubt that they would come to use at some point.

"This Hadrian sounds like an interesting character. When do you think there is a possibility for me to greet him? After all, I need to thank the one who managed to bring you back to our world." Despite Lucius' words, Severus knew that the other was doing this more of his own interest than to see if Harry was someone to be trusted. Lucius wanted to see if Harry was someone who could be of use.

He found himself reluctant to allow it. Harry was his, he had saved him from Tobias' wrath and from the way he handled without a thought, Severus felt that he was not equipped to deal with someone like Lucius. Most likely he would insult the blond without realising it, and Severus knew he would be the one who had to clean it up afterwards.

But letting the two meet might have benefits, and Severus knew that Lucius' curiosity had been poked too. Not only with him being as vague as he had, but also Teddy's claim that Harry was a Lord was a sure way to have Lucius insist on a meeting between them to be arranged. "Very well, I suppose he might be done with his meeting with the goblins by now. If that is the case, he should be in his shop," he said, as if Lucius had been the one to convince him to this.

Letting Teddy lead the way, Severus failed to completely ignore the feeling that this would complicate matters in a way he could not figure out just yet.

**)00(**

Harry's mind was far away when the doorbell chimed, signalling that someone had entered the shop.

Smiling he put the sketch away. The waitress had been by with her finance already. Obviously Tom had given up on keeping her on watch since she apparently had been too distracted to do her job properly.

"Hawwy, look who we found!" When he looked up at Teddy's call, Harry had to fight to keep the smile on his face. His godson was swinging from Severus' arm, and despite the adorable sight, his attention was quickly drawn to the man the two boys had brought in with them.

If he had thought that Lucius Malfoy and Draco Malfoy looked alike, it was nothing to when they seemed to be at the same age. The hair was a little longer, but otherwise it was like seeing Draco on the day he had sent them here.

Swallowing Harry decided to focus on Severus, knowing that he was the reason to why the blond was here. He had never taken the time to figure out what Snape and Malfoy's relationship was, but it seemed like he was getting the chance now.

"Harry, this is Lucius Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy family and my friend. Lucius, this is Hadrian Grey, my guardian." Grey eyes observed him, leaving Harry with the feeling that every bit of him was being seen and judged, a feeling he definitely didn't like.

He didn't expect Malfoy to extend his hand. Harry hesitantly took it, being reminded of that day on the train. Now he just needed a red head to be insulted and this would really be like when he had declined Malfoy's friendship. For such a dainty looking guy he surely had a strong hold.

Dropping his hand, Harry rubbed his knuckles behind the counter as he watched Malfoy patiently, waiting to hear what he was doing here. He hadn't thought that someone of the likes of Malfoy would find their way into his shop. But really, he shouldn't be surprised. He sold jewellery, and Malfoys loved to show off their wealth, that much he had learned about the blonds.

Before words could be exchanged, Teddy piped up from Severus' side where he had yet to let go of the teen's hand. "Hawwy, you awe a Lord wight? That's better than a heiw." The look Teddy sent Malfoy told Harry where this had come from.

Seriously, his godson could be too competitive for his own good some times.

But the question made Harry pause. As the last of the Potters, he had been a Lord, something Teddy had been quick to pick up on. Since Draco had said that they Greys had died out, he supposed that it would do no harm to take of the title, it was not like he was stealing it from anyone. Besides, with the way that wizards and witches tended to intermarry with each other, there was a chance that he had Grey blood in him anyway.

"Yeah, but Teddy, any heir gets to be a Lord someday." Harry explained, wondering if Severus or Teddy was his heir. Neither were his by blood, by he didn't plan on marrying, so it was not like he would have a kid on his own to carry the title on.

He would have to bring it up the next time he had a meeting with Ragnok. If there was someone else with a claim to the title, Harry would have to figure out what to do at that point.

"Greeting, Lord Grey, Severus has spoken very highly of you." From the slight colouring of Severus' cheeks, it seemed like Malfoy was not lying about that bit. "My engagement ball is a week from now. I know it is a short notice, but if I had known that Severus was no longer with... that Muggle, I would have ensured that you all got a formal invitation when the others were sent out."

Baffled by what he heard Harry nodded. "Sure, we will be there, just send me the invitation, or whatever is needed." He blinked, surprised for agreeing so easily. But then again, if Malfoy was supposed to be Severus' friend, Harry wouldn't stand in the way for them. From the way Malfoy had spoken back in Hogwarts, the balls his family held were something to behold. And really, Harry couldn't see what harm it would do. While he was not interested in parties and politic, he would not try and hinder Severus' progress. One thing he had learned from Slughorn was that connections could get you far, unless you were the connection, of course.

**)00(**

"My Lord, father, Lord Black." Lucius greeted with a gracious nod as he passed by the study, spotting the three men seated by the window.

His father was the only one who looked up to acknowledge his presence. Lord Black only graced him with a nod, while the Dark Lord ignored him completely in favour of the book he was currently reading. It was old, leather bound and no different from the vast others of the same kind they kept in the library. Without reading the title he wouldn't be able to say what the book was about, and he was too far away to see what words the old script might form. "Lucius, did you have a pleasant trip to Diagon Alley?"

"Yes, father. Although the clerk in the Apothecary was quite rude. By the way, the house elves will have to prepare for three more guests for my engagement celebration."

"It is rather late to do so." His father's voice sounded before Lucius could make his way away. The young man held back a smile; with a few words he had caught his father's attention. Now he just needed to do so his father would see no reason to deny him.

"Of course, but I ran into Severus in Diagon Alley, today. Eileen Prince's son." He added the last part, knowing that his father could not be bothered to remember the name of someone he viewed as unimportant. "Apparently he has been taken in by Lord Grey, when the head of the family found out that his family home was less than acceptable. Seeing that the Greys are as old as our family, I felt it might benefit to see if we could build bonds with them, since Hadrian Grey has just opened a jewellery shop in Diagon Alley."

The whole time he spoke, Lucius was looking at his father, but keeping a subtle eye on Lord Black out of the corner of his eye. So far the man had showed no reaction to anything he had said, other than the common interesting upon hearing that an old family was re-emerging. Perhaps the man did not know that there was Black blood in the Grey family? Interesting.

"Lucius, add one more to the list."

The blond froze in the doorway, not quite daring to look at the third man. "My Lord?" He asked, not sure if he had heard correctly. A quick look up proved that the Dark Lord was watching him through half lid eyes, and Lucius couldn't quite control the shiver that went down his spine. The Dark Lord was a magnificent sight to behold.

"It has been a while since I have been among common people. It will be good to see what people says and do when they are not aware that they are being observed."

Swallowing, Lucius bent his head in submission. "It is a great honour, my Lord." He whispered, feeling the truth of the words as he spoke them. He doubted that the Dark Lord had any interest in the engagement party at all.

The Greys, on the other hand, was probably enough to catch his Lord's interest. As long as they had not made their alliances clear, there was a possible of getting them to support their side of the ongoing war.

Lucius just hoped that Severus' guardian would be ready to deal with the attention of the Dark Lord. He would hate to see his friend lose someone who had managed to get him away from the Muggle world.

**Wow, last chapter got over 100 reviews, I love you all and as a reward, I'll let you have a preview on the next chapter.**

Mr Grey

We have been informed of the change in guardianship of Severus Snape, June the 23th, Spinners End number seven.

As this has not been authorized by a Ministry person from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the guardianship has been returned to Tobias Snape, father of Severus Snape. If you have complains, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement three days after receiving this owl the latest.

You have exactly 48 hours to deliver Mr Snape back to his rightful guardian, otherwise legitimate consequences will follow.

**Until next time**


	7. The letter

Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.

Warnings: This story will have slash, violence

Beta: Angelhitomie

**Mr Grey,**

**We have been informed of the change in guardianship of Severus Snape, June the 23th, Spinners End number seven. **

**As this has not been authorized by a Ministry official from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the guardianship has been returned to Tobias Snape, father of Severus Snape. If you have complains, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement three days after receiving this owl at the latest.**

**You have exactly 48 hours to deliver Mr Severus Snape back to his rightful guardian, otherwise legitimate consequences will follow.**

**Sincerely**

**Johnson Savage, secretary of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement**

A quick burst of heat rendered the letter to ash. Shaking his hands to free them from the cinders, Harry narrowed his eyes at the Ministry owl that had brought the letter to him. Sensing the danger it was in, the owl squeaked and took off back through the window it had first used to enter through. It might be for the best, because if Harry had to compose a response, the Aurors might have to show up because of the death threats, and possible also for carrying them out.

Unless the Ministry of Magic was different from the one he had known, this was not their doing. Harry hadn't even known that they handled things like where children had to stay, but he could definitely have used that, both as an Auror but also several times before then.

No, it seemed more likely that someone else was pulling the threads, and Harry was quite willing to place his money on Dumbledore. The Ministry didn't care about a halfblood, and Malfoy had seemed happy that Severus was away from his father, so he wouldn't be behind this.

That left Harry with Dumbledore and Flamel, unless someone else had decided to stick their noses where they didn't belong. While Flamel was a power on his own, he didn't exactly strike Harry to be one to pull this kind of stunts. Dumbledore on the other hand seemed to be more than a likely candidate behind this whole plot. With Severus back at Spinner's End, Hogwarts would be his only place of freedom until he filled seventeen. And Dumbledore would have free reins to do whatever he wanted in the time between.

That was something Harry was unwilling to let happen. Severus was his, a part of his family and it would stay that way until the teen no longer desired it, and even then Harry would fight him on that decision.

Glancing at the clock, Harry pursed his lips; it was still early, if he left now he could go to the Ministry before he had to open the shop. "Fenrir, do you mind watching the boys a few hours more than we agreed on?" he called out though there was no one else in the room. Harry knew he could easily take them along, but if things went south, Harry would not be serving Severus on a silver plate to them.

He wasn't surprised when he felt a warm body press against his back. "What has gotten you so angry?" Fenrir asked as he rested his chin on top of Harry's head, using his superior height to his advantage.

Slapping one of the hands away before they could wander too low, Harry turned and stepped away. Just like himself, Fenrir had been up for hours already, though Harry had no idea what the other spent his time with. Since coming back from his trip yesterday, Fenrir had been oddly distant and thoughtful. Harry wanted to know what it was about, worried about whatever seemed to worry Fenrir. But it seemed like there were other things that needed his attention right now.

"The Ministry seems to want to take Severus away." He held his hands up when Fenrir's eyes flickered amber. "Whoa, I'll deal with it. But if you can keep an eye on the boys, perhaps take them out to look for those plants Severus mentioned yesterday, it would be really great," Harry said, half worried that he might have to do something drastically to prevent Fenrir from going with him.

Huffing the man relaxed his muscles while his eyes returned to their original blue shade. "You want me to look after the pups, while you go and make sure that our pack isn't split up?" he asked for clarification and Harry nodded. "Then go and make sure of it, I'll stay here and protect the pups."

Harry opened his mouth to ask exactly what it was they needed protection from, it was not like anyone but the goblins knew they were here. But Fenrir had already disappeared into the back of the house. Shaking his head, Harry decided not to think more about it. Fenrir was probably upset that he couldn't go, because bringing a wanted criminal along to the Ministry was such a good idea, and decided to call babysitting for protection duty.

Yup, that was definitely it, and now Harry would stop worrying about Fenrir's choice of words and instead focussed on the matter on hand.

He used a few minutes to make sure that he looked somewhat respectable; his hair was a hopeless case no matter what he tried. Here, he did not have the favour of being the Boy-Who-Lived or the Man-Who-Conquered. This would hardly be solved by giving an autograph. This was one of the few times he thought his titles might have been of use, and yet they would get him nowhere as they meant nothing to the people here.

And Harry doubted he could find Voldemort's Horcruxes, destroy them, find Voldemort and kill him before the two days limit. "Make sure that Teddy doesn't get too many sweets and don't let Severus worry too much. I'll contact you as soon as I know something." Knowing that Fenrir had heard him, Harry let out another, but smaller, bust of heat.

The next moment Harry found himself standing at the Apparition point near the Ministry building, it would have sucked if he had managed to appear in the middle of a busy Muggle street if the spot had been moved between now and his time. Nodding to the unlucky guy who had been stuck with watch duty in case that something happened, Harry quickly left the area, less he wanted to end up under someone's feet. With how his day had turned out to be so far, Harry wouldn't be surprised if that actually happened.

Since he was no longer an employee of the Ministry, he couldn't take the direct way in. Luckily the telephone box was where it was supposed to be, and since there was no one there, Harry stepped straight in. Being alone in the red telephone box meant that he had plenty of space, unlike when he and his friends had gone off to rescue Sirius, or even when Mr Weasley had been escorting him to his hearing before his fifth year.

Lifting the telephone receiver Harry turned the dial. Six, two, four, four and two again. Really, it wasn't original, but considering that wizards and witches should use this thing, Harry supposed that it made sense that they should spell magic.

This time Harry wasn't startled to hear the woman's voice sounding as if someone was standing right next to him. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

Placing the receiver by his head, Harry took a calming breath. He could feel the heat roll below his skin. Even the smallest thing could probably set him off right now, and Harry was starting to wonder of the wisdom of coming here right now. Though he would not turn away. Later, he would allow himself to let out some stream. "Hadrian Grey, I am here regarding the guardianship of Severus Snape."

"Thanks." The rather cold voice replied. "Guest, please take the nameplate and fasten it to your robe." After some noise a small silver emblem appeared in the chute where returning coins usually appeared.** Hadrian Grey,****child custody**. He secured it just above his heart without a protest as the voice started speaking again. "As a guest of the Ministry, you are required to admit yourself to a search and hand over your wand for registration at the security desk at the end of the atrium."

By now Harry was ready to leave, knowing that this could not possible end well. He had one wand, the Holy one, which, as far as Harry knew, was still supposed to be gathering dust in Ollivander's shop. Harry could think of no reasonable explanation to why he was walking around with a wand that was not sold yet.

He floor beneath his feet shock as it moved underground, and Harry used the moment to retie the shoelaces on his sneakers. "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day." The voice spoke one last time before the door opened and Harry stood, burrowing his hands in his pockets and stepped out of the telephone box.

Like it was the case with everything else from their world, the Ministry was not much different from the one Harry had known before the second war against Voldemort had started. There were no statues to honour those of importance in the Ministry's eyes, who had lost their lives in the war. The only reason there had been none of Harry was because he had threatened to blast it to pieces if he ever caught sight of such a thing.

It had been creepy enough to see a life-sized Dumbledore whenever he had had to meet in for work. Whoever had made the statue of the old headmaster had clearly not known a first thing about the old man. Really, Harry had preferred to talk to the portrait in Hogwarts when he had had the time, it had been much closer to the real thing, much better than a glorified stone version Harry was sure that Dumbledore would not have liked if he had lived to see it.

The hall was long with walls of black marble, the floor was of a dark wood that looked newly polished. A line of fireplaces stood along the walls and every few minute green flames would roar to life, allowing a witch or wizard to step through.

In the middle of the halfway was the golden fountain, the same one which Dumbledore had used to protect him when he had been duelling against Voldemort. Nothing had been there to occupy the place since Voldemort's statue that had showed their superiority to everything else. Seeing the way the house-elf, goblin and centaur were looking up at the wizard and witch was frankly disturbing. The Ministry was lucky that the latter two did not come here, or there would be an uproar unlike anything they were prepared to deal with. It was possible that there would be a rebellion or two more for Binns to teach in his History of Magic lessons.

Aware that he couldn't simply turn around without looking suspicious, Harry went to the desk at the other end of the hall with a plague that read Security. The guard had his nose buried in an edition of Witch Weekly, ignoring Harry until the wizard cleared his throat. "What do ya want?" The guard snapped, clearly annoyed that Harry had interrupted his reading time.

"I'm here regarding the guardianship of Severus Snape."

"Step around." Already knowing what was expected Harry dug his wand out from his pocket. It seemed he would just have to hope that this would work, otherwise he would probably not make it out of here unless he took to destructive means.

Just as he rounded the table's corner, someone bumped into Harry hard enough to send him into the corner and falling to the ground. He had his arms up before he hit the floor and several curse words slipped over his lips as something soundly snapped.

"Oh my, are you okay? I am so sorry; normally I am not so clumsy. Are you alright? You are not moving, why are you not moving? Did I kill you? I am so sorry about that:" Harry was aware of the woman who had yet to pause in her stream of words but he could not tear his eyes from the two pieces of now useless wood he was clutching in his hands, a bit of a red feather poking out of one of the ends.

"My wand." He moaned, thankful that the hands on his arm let go. Even though layers of clothes had been between them, they felt icy cold.

"He's alive. You are alive, that's great. I haven't killed you." Having no desire to have her hands on him again, because they were bone chilling where she had touched his arm, Harry got up from the floor.

Once standing, Harry froze momentary upon seeing the woman who had bumped into him, wringing her hands as her eyes didn't stay from his broken wand.

Harry felt like he had gotten the air knocked out of his lungs, and not because of the fall. There, right in front of him, stood a woman who could very well have been Ginny's twin, albeit a few years older than his wife had gotten the chance to be. Red hair was pulled back in a pony tail, leaving her freckled face clear. It was the same petite stature and even those bright brown eyes.

It took Harry a few moments to come over his shock, only to realise that the woman was stall chatting, and still looking worryingly close to break out in tears. Harry was starting to feel guilty just from looking at her. "Hey there, this is hardly the first time a wand is broken, there is really is no reason to cry." He tried, sending the guard a desperate look, but the man looked more than happy with leaving Harry to deal with this.

"You've broken your wand before?" She asked with true horror in her voice, getting more than just a few scandalized looks from bypasses.

"It happens for even the best of us. You didn't get hurt did you?" Harry asked, not answering her question. After all, while he personally hadn't broken his wand before, it had happened to Ron. How the redhead had made it through the school year without accidentally killing someone had been a mystery to most of them. But the broken wand had had its uses when Lockheart had attempted to Oblivate Harry and Ron down in the Chamber of Secrets.

The slightly used, brown robe she was wearing left no hint for Harry if she had taken any damage. "No, but I am so sorry. As I said before, I am not normally this clumsy. Sorry, but I am afraid that I don't know your name." She said with a half embarrassed smile that might just have sent Harry's heart beating a bit faster. Ginny had worn the same kind of smile in some of their private moments.

Shaking himself mentally, Harry steered his thoughts away from the subject. Ginny was dead, and no matter how much this woman reminded him of her, she was not his deceased wife. "Hadrian Grey." He simply offered. Despite how much she looked like Ginny, that was where the similarity ended.

A strange expression passed over the woman's face, but it was gone again before Harry had a chance to analyse it. Her hands fluttered around, much like nervous butterflies. "The name is Gwyneira Storm, though I prefer Gwyn, otherwise it can be a bit of a mouthful. I am an attorney."

Harry allowed himself to return her smile. Even Ginny had preferred the shortened version of her name and damn it he really should stop comparing those two, because that would lead to trouble, Harry just knew it. "You can call me Harry." He offered.

"Are you perhaps flirting with me, Harry?"

The question took him off guard, but her tone of voice was anything but serious, much to his own relief. If she mistook his attempt of politeness for being interested, this could turn out ugly really fast.

Though he had to wonder, what her relation to Ginny might be. With the great likeliness between those two, they either had to be related, however distant it might be, or someone was playing a rather cruel prank on him.

"I don't know where you got that impression from, not that you aren't attractive, but no, I'm not interested." His hand found the ring by its own accord. Trying to start a relationship, build it up to the level of trust and love he had experienced once, seemed pretty much impossible.

"Oh." That sound, not even a word, held more meaning than Harry could figure out. "Listen, I am sorry about the wand, and I promise that I'll pay for a new one."

"No need for that." Harry quickly said. He would not take her money, and neither would he be stepping a foot inside Ollivander's, especially not to buy another wand since he might end getting the one he already had. If his alternative self was born, Harry would hate to rob him of a wand that would match him perfectly.

Probably uncomfortable by his refusal, Gwyn shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, almost as if she was doing some kind of weird dance. It made Harry feel like the bad guy, and he really didn't like that thought. "Listen, I am sure we both have places to be, so why don't we go our separate ways and forget that this happened?" He offered uneasily. It seemed like today was doomed to be one of those he regretted getting out of bed.

Gwyn parted her red painted lips, a difference Harry happily latched onto, because Ginny had rarely, if ever, used makeup. It seemed like Gwyn would agree to his suggestion, when her eyes fell on the emblem he was wearing and her brow furrowed. "Are you here to seek guardianship for an orphan?"

Harry was strongly tempted to tell her to keep her nose out of matters which did not concern her until he remembered her occupation. Attorneys were somewhat a rare thing in their world, despite so man who could benefit of one. He suspected it was because of the crazily high scores one needed in the N.E.W.T exams to get into the program. And those who managed completed the whole thing, did not have an easy time getting a job afterwards. Most purebloods preferred to buy their way out of their mess rather than going through the trouble of having a trial. And common people rarely had the means to afford a lawyer's pay.

Glancing at the guard, Harry was not surprised to see that he had gone back to his paper, paying no obvious attention to them. Then again, he might just be really good at acting, and even if he wasn't someone else might be overhearing them.

As if reading his thoughts, Gwyn casted a privacy ward around them, ensuring that they wouldn't be overheard. "I stumbled over the grave of someone I once knew, and I found her son. His father is an abusive arsehole, but he signed a contract allowing me to be Severus' guardian. The goblins endorsed it, and now someone thinks that he should be sent back to his father despite everything that has happened." Harry ran a hand through his hair, unwilling to show his frustration otherwise.

"Was it physical or psychological abuse?"

"Probably both, but when intervened, he was attacking Severus, kicking him even though he was already down." Harry sucked in a breath, aware that he needed to calm himself before he lost his grip on the heat inside him and rendered something to cinder.

"Will you be willing to provide a memory of the incident for viewing in a Pensieve, as well as one where the father writes over his rights to you, it'll go a long way if we can prove that no violence from your side took place and that he did it willingly." Going over the short time he had spent in Spinner's End, Harry nodded. What little magic he had done back then was nothing that would look suspicious. And it wasn't like he had done any harm to the man, no matter how tempting it had been.

The way Gwyn's face lit up in a smile didn't board well for whoever they would be facing. Harry had a feeling that she could be just as vindictive as Ginny had been. "Great, how about I help you, it'll be free of course, as payment for breaking your wand and, well, I don't really have anything else on my schedule that is remotely interesting today. Do you have an appointment with someone already?" She asked somewhat belatedly.

At Harry shake of his head, she looked positively delighted and let the Silence ward fall, a signal for the guard that their conversation was over. "Wand." The man growled, looking even sourer when Harry held up the two broken pieces for inspection. "Wait a moment."

He ducked behind the desk, and for a moment his hunched back was the only bit visible of the guard before he was back in his seat, a thick, leather bound book between his hands. When he laid it on the desk a cloud of dust flew up, causing him to cough and sneeze.

Another, but thankfully smaller cloud of dust was sent upwards when the book was opened and turned so Harry didn't have to look at it upside down. Despite its old looks, the guard had opened it at one of the first pages, and hardly anything had been written in it. The page he was looking on held a short list of names, all written in different handwritings in red ink. It took him a short moment to recognise the book; after all, he had only seen it twice or so in his time working for the Ministry. Not all who came here had access to a wand, and the Ministry needed to keep track of the people coming and going.

The knowledge of this didn't stop Harry's glare from nearing the level of a Basilisk's stare as he picked up the black and long quill. The heat was rolling under his skin. All he had to do was let a little bit out and no one would have to deal with the abnormal creation anymore. The only problems was, that the Ministry had at least a dozen more ready for use hidden away somewhere, and it would be a little hard to explain how he'd rendered the quill to ash when witnesses had seen his wand break.

Knowing what to expect, Harry grimaced already before he had placed the quill's tip at the page.

**Hadrian Grey**

He should probably be thankful that Malfoy hadn't given him a longer name. As it was, his hand already stung from writing the two words. But after the hours after hours Umbridge had force him to use the Blood Quill, it was easily written off as nothing. It was nothing but a small sting compared to the throbbing, bloody mess his hand had been after the many detentions he had been through. If he had had his accelerated healing back then, it would have meant nothing but bad memories. Now it was another thing about his body he hid to avoid unwanted questions.

As soon as the last dot had been made, Harry let go of the quill as if it was made of ice and wiped his hand clean in his robe. He would find another solution for the next time he couldn't avoid going to the Ministry. He wouldn't be touching a Blood Quill again, unless it was to destroy it.

Before he could say something, probably a few threats towards the creator of those quills which would bring him the attention of the Aurors, Harry found his sleeve grabbed and himself dragged towards the elevator by Gwyn.

They went to a connected room with at least twenty elevators, each behind a golden grid to stop people from being pushed through by accident, or perhaps stepping when the paperwork seemed to become too much. As they joined up with a group in front of one of the grids, Gwyn had cast the privacy ward anew to stop anyone from overhearing their conversation. Harry knew they would get no raised eyebrows for this since it was common practice by the employees of the Ministry. And as a lawyer, Gwyn had every right to use it when she was talking with a client.

A slight smile twisted her lips. "Am I correct to assume that you have not arranged an appointment?" The grit slid aside, allowing them to move inside the elevator.

"I'm afraid not." He admitted as they managed to secure themselves a corner as the lift started moving downwards. He had not really thought further than getting here and to ensure that Severus would not be taken away. He was more of the type to think on his feet. Hermione, and occasionally Ron too, had formed a plan beforehand.

"Good, I believe it will be to our advantage by going fast forward. By not announcing our presence, we give them less of a chance to prepare their case against you. Honestly, what kind of people want to send a child back to a place that is clearly unfit to house them?" The last bit was whispered, and perhaps Harry was not meant to overhear it, but it made it clear that Gwyn wasn't just doing this because she felt bad about his wand. At least she seemed interested in doing what was best for Severus.

As people got off of the lift and others stepped in to replace them, the duo's subject change from tactic to more casual conversation. Gwyn constant chatter and questions gradually distracted Harry, and by the time they stepped off the lift, he was pleased to discover that the rolling heat inside him had calmed down to a more manageable level. Perhaps he wouldn't risk setting the next person who touched him on fire.

Exiting the lift at Level Two, Harry took four steps towards his workplace before remembering that he did not work here any longer. In fact, he was not supposed to have been here before, so he could hardly go on like he knew where they were supposed to go.

With an embarrassed smile, that was not entirely false, Harry turned to face Gwyn, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I just want to get over with this. Do you mind showing where we are going?" He sent a silent thank to whoever might be listening that Gwyn didn't seem to have noticed his slip-up.

"Of course, I know just who we should go to so this will be over as fast as possible." There was an edge in her smile that sent a picture of a shark having smelled blood to the forefront of Harry's mind. Even knowing that she was supposed to be on his side, Harry couldn't help but feel a little concerned. It was with slight fear for his own well-being that Harry willingly stepped aside, allowing Gwyn to take the lead with him right behind her.

They passed series of cubicles; one for each of the Aurors in the Department, thought there was at least two in each. Harry guessed it had something to do with them technically being at war with Voldemort. Though he was ought to find out if they were actually at war, or if Voldemort was still at the terrorist plan. But it seemed to be considered enough of a threat that this department's budget was flowering compared to how it had been when Voldemort had returned. The Aurors' fund had severely suffered in the years of peace, the money instead going to projects that would make the Minister look good in the public's eyes.

The cubicles' walls were far from bare. Clips from the Daily Prophet as well as maps, both Muggle and Magical ones, hung side by side with pictures of known Dark Wizards. Some of those wanted posters had still been there when Harry had started working in the Department. Given how long witches and wizards tended to live, it was no wonder that the pictures were kept around until there was a body to show, preferably a dead one.

Gwyn strode forward with Harry right behind her, no one tried to stop them. Then again, the red head looked like a woman with a mission, and Harry doubted very much that anyone would be stupid enough to try and stop her.

They headed towards a closed office a little away from the cubicles. In Harry's time, it had been used to keeping a resemblance of control over leads to current cases, though he doubted that it was the case right now.

At this point of time, the room was used as an office. And while there still was a mess in there, a superficial look told him, that the papers were connected to finances rather than a case. What a shame, because Harry would love to find out what the Aurors were wasting their time on, because they didn't seem to be doing much to stop Voldemort.

At first glance the small office seemed empty, and Harry raised an eyebrow at Gwyn, silently wondering what they were doing in there. His body shifted slightly to prepare for an attack in case she had led him into an ambush. Considering where they were, it seemed unlikely, but underestimating people's stupidity seemed like a sure way to get oneself killed.

Harry nearly unleashed his flames when the desk jumped and a string of curse-words sounded from under it. Not two seconds later an elderly, rather stout man emerged from underneath the desk, rubbing his head which explained why the desk had suddenly moved. It was only when he had planted himself in the chair and laid the book, probably the reason why he had been under the desk in the first place, that the man realised he was no longer alone in the room.

Pale brown eyes moved from one to the other, probably wondering how they had made it inside without his notice. He smiled, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. "Good morning, I am Hannes Harris, I handle most of the legal matters in this department, and how may I be of help today?" Well, he was certainly better mannered than the guy at the security desk.

Following Gwyn's lead, Harry took a seat after she had, forcing himself to sit properly rather than on the edge of the chair. It would hardly give a good impression if he looked ready to bolt with a moment's notice, no matter how close to the truth that might be.

"Mr Harris, we are here because my client, Hadrian Grey, received a rather unsettling letter from this department. Hopefully, we will be able to solve this matter to everyone's satisfaction." Gwyn certainly didn't play around. Perhaps she had enough sense to know how tender Harry's hold on his control was right now, or perhaps this was just how she normally worked.

Harris had already started searching through the many stacks of papers littering his desk while Gwyn was speaking. "Can you tell me a little more about the letter sent out? We do that a lot, and it's a downright hazard to keep track of everything." Harris explained, not looking up from his search.

"You're trying to take one of my boys from me." Harry bit out, determined to ignore the look of warning Gwyn sent him. The longer he spent in this place, the more likely it was that he gave in to the temptation to see if the Ministry was fire proofed. Though he was certain that none of that could be heard in his voice.

Apparently, this was enough for Harris to find what he was searching for. "Ah yes, the Snape boy." A thin folder was pulled out from a stack that looked dangerously close to tilting over the desk's edge. He opened it and let his eyes run over the pages quicker than Harry was able to follow. "It seems his mother has recently died, her side of the family has shown no interest in taking the boy in, leaving him with his Muggle father." Harris' voice was carefully neutral, giving no hint of what his thoughts were on the matter.

Gwyn's smile, on the other hand, seemed dangerously sharp in comparison. "I am Mr. Grey's legal representative, Gwyneira Storm, my client took Mr Severus Snape in because he deemed the father unfit to take care of an adolescent, not to speak of a magical one."

"Be as that may be, we can't have civilians doing the Ministry's job. Otherwise, we will waste our time correcting people's mistakes rather than spent our sources on far more important matters." Harris argued back, looking like the conversation was already boring him.

Harry dug his nails into the armrests hard enough to leave marks. "That bastard was attacking Severus. I would have had to be a monster if I had let him stay there." He dug his nails deeper into the cheap wood, trying to stop himself from creating any flames in response to his raising temper.

"Then you should have contacted the Aurors and let them do their job. I am quite sure that a talk with the adult would have been enough to prevent it from going that far again." Harris said, not quite meeting either of theirs gazes.

Gwyn's hand on his arm stopped Harry from snapping out a response, or set the man on fire, both seemed equally likely to happen right now. "Mr Harris, we all know that the Aurors are quite busy with the threat of You-Know-Who and other matters which pose as a danger to our daily lives. I believe that his actions are excusable. If someone had the time to investigate, I am confident that they'd agree that Tobias Snape is in no way fit to take care of a child, especially not a magical one."

"The boy has a Pureblood family on his mother's side; otherwise the Ministry would be fine finding someone to house him until he is off age." No matter how Harry turned it over inside his head, the whole situation seemed unfavourable for Severus. Many of those families who could take him in, would either judge him because of his mixed blood, his Muggle upbringing or for being sorted into Slytherin.

There was a chance that some close family might be interested in taking Severus in, but since no one had stepped forth already Harry doubted that it was the case.

"When they disowned their daughter, the Princes renounced any claims over her only child. And why should the Ministry waste its time and resources when there already is someone willing and perfectly capable to provide a home and a family for a lonely child who has just lost his mother?" She was laying it rather thick, but Harry still found it fascinating to watch them fight with words alone. It was greatly different from what he was used to. If he had had to do this alone, Harry knew he would have lost his temper long ago. The fact that someone was willing to ignore Severus' wellbeing like this had Harry stuffing his hands into his pockets, hoping that the soot marks on the armrests went unnoticed.

Harris was starting to look uncomfortable, the first expression Harry had seen on his face since the man had come out from under that table. "This are all good arguments, but the fact remains that you cannot remove a child from its guardian, it's simply not how things are done."

And yet this Ministry worker was trying to do just that, that irony was not lost on Harry. "Tobias Snape wrote over the guardianship to me. I sent the paperwork to the goblins, and if you would just look at them, you would know that they are perfectly legal." And even if they had been sham the goblins would have been able to make it look like the real deal.

Huffing out a frustrated breath, Harry sunk back in his chair with a smothering glare. It felt like they were running around in circles. By now Severus was probably up and had found out what was going on. While the teenager was no Gryffindor, Harry had no doubt that Severus would do something rash if he thought he was getting sent back to Spinner's End.

Harry hoped that Severus had enough faith in him to not think that Harry would allow it to happen.

"Mr Grey, such practices are not as uncommon as one would think, especially not when one considers the time we are living in. However, if everyone was able to adopt someone into their family without the Ministry's approval, we would have chaos everywhere. Only a lord of a family-"

"Then test him." Gwyn cut in, making both wizards look at her. Seeing confusion in Harry's features, and disbelief on Harris' face, the lawyer started to look slightly annoyed. "As far as I am aware, there is no current Lord Grey, in fact there hasn't been one for quite a few years. Yet you have a Grey sitting right in front of you. Why not test him and see if he is fit for the position as head for the family? If he is Lord Grey, then none of us have to waste more of our time here."

Her suggestion was logical, brilliant, and if Harry had had to deal with a case like this as an Auror, he would have approved of her solution.

However, Harry was very much aware that he was not a real Grey. It was just a name Malfoy had provided him with. As soon as he had gone through whatever test Gwyn was talking about, they would know that he had no claim to Severus. They would split his family up, and send Severus back to the house where his devil of a father would no doubt be ready to continue where he had been forced to stop.

It took everything in him not to fidget as those brown eyes were back on his person. Straightening his back, Harry returned the gaze, hoping that the man hadn't learned Legilimency, or it wouldn't only be Severus Harry would have to worry about.

Harris nodded, standing. "If you will just wait here, I'll go and gather the necessary items." He waddled slightly, more used to sitting behind his desk all day than having to move around.

As the door closed, Harry sagged back in the chair with a sideways glance to Gwyn. What was she playing at? Harry got that she felt bad about breaking his wand, he really did, and he was grateful for it. But this was a whole different thing than providing his memories of the situation, and frankly, Harry had no idea of what he should be prepared for.

Unfortunately, he couldn't very well talk her out of this idea as Harris had already been sent off. Besides, Harry was familiar with the charms used on rooms in the Ministry. Any conversation they might have would be recorded and analysed until those who did it could recite every word in their sleep. The newbies usually got this task, and Harry had found it jaw wrenching boring.

So with no idea how to get out of the possible mess, Harry simply waited for Harris' return.

No more than five minutes passed before Harris returned, looking rather hesitant as he took his seat. Deciding that nothing he did would change this, Harry instead turned his attention to the two objects that had been brought in.

It was a simple quill, looking nothing like a Blood Quill, which was good or Harry might have lost it, and a crisp, white parchment. At first glance, there was nothing special about those two items. Second, third, heck even a seventh look told Harry nothing. Neither looked any different from the stuff one could pick up from a store in Diagon Alley, and Harry still couldn't see what they had to do with the whole test thing. Unless it was supposed to be a written test, but that seemed a tad too strange, even for the Wizarding World.

"I'm all for getting on with this, but it would be easier if I actually knew what to do." He managed to keep his voice much calmer than he actually felt.

"Perhaps you will do us the favour?" Gwyn asked, though Harry doubted Harris really had much of a choice in this matter.

"It's a part of my job anyway." Harris sounded like he was most of all talking to himself as he pushed the quill and parchment so both were right in front of Harry. "It is quite simple, if I may say so. The parchment has been soaked in a Truth Potion. All you have to do is to write your title and full name. If you indeed are the Lord Grey, the parchment will accept the ink, otherwise only your name will appear."

Harry paused where his hand had picked the quill up. This could be a good thing. While Harris had answered his questions, it wasn't enough of an explanation to those questions he could not ask. Would the parchment refuse the ink? After all, he wasn't Hadrian Grey; it was just a name for the identity he had taken to be able to keep his family safe.

But he wasn't Harry Potter either. If history went as it had done before, a boy would be born in some years and given the name, it wasn't who he was.

So who exactly was he? Some nameless being with no place here? That, among a great deal of other things was what the Dursleys had claimed him to be, and Harry wasn't inclined to prove his relatives right. They had been wrong about so much else, so why should he hand them such a victory?

Huffing out a breath, Harry dipped the quill tip in the ink veil. He supposed this was a make it or break it situation. Holding onto that thought, Harry moved the quill over the parchment, not taking his eyes off the words that formed on it.

**Lord Hadrian Grey**

The real Greys had had no connection to him, other than a surname that wasn't even his. Going by logic, the parchment should have been blank, and yet it was not. But their society thrived on defeating logic each and every day.

Perhaps, it was also a proof that he had to accept that Harry Potter was no more. In fact, he'd no guaranty that he would ever come to exist in this universe. And Harry would steer his mind away from the subject because no one, no matter their age, would be comfortable with the thought of their parents having sex.

The parchment was pulled away as soon as Harry had lifted the quill from it, and Harris held it close to his face that his nose almost touched it. "It seems legit." Harry nearly rolled his eyes. He didn't see how he was supposed to have cheated on this.

"Well, since my client is a Lord, it seems that we are done here. I trust that you can ensure that this kind of mistake will not be repeated." Gwyn was all sharp smiles as she rose, Harry mirroring her action.

Harris nodded, still not taking his eyes off the parchment. "Yes, I will make sure that this goes through the proper channels so there will not be another misunderstanding. Those things have to be handled a certain way, or it would be chaos."

Harry doubted that it would be like Harris described. Really, it would be so much better if someone went through the Ministry and got rid of those who would rather fill their own pockets than do what was written in their job description.

Though it might just be easier to level the whole system and start over. Harry doubted that it was something he had the patience to deal with. "If you have any more questions, the goblins have the contract. I suggest you read it over before doubting my claim to Severus." It might be a little vindictive, but Harry honestly couldn't find it in himself to care. To hint that the goblins couldn't see the difference between a fake contract and a real one probably ranked about attempting to steal from the bank.

Satisfaction oozed from Gwyn as she merely nodded her goodbye to Harris. The man kept his tongue and though there was no visible proof of such, Harry had a feeling that the man was not happy about this result. It only heightened Harry's happiness of being able to keep Severus, legally even, despite the lack of violence he'd thought would be necessary. Now he just needed to deliver the news to those at home.

Outside the office Harry cracked an eyebrow upon seeing Mad-Eye hovering not far from them. The man's back was facing them, but with that eye of his it was not like such a little thing stopped the paranoid man from keeping an eye on them. But Moody was an Auror and had every reason to be in this department. Though he hadn't known that someone could be so interested in posters about lost pets.

Just to be sure Harry stuck his tongue out, smirking at the grip it gave in the other wizard. It was childish to do, yes, but if this was a plot of Dumbledore's, Moody was spying on him for the old man. Harry might as well let them all know that he was aware of this much.

They were back in the lift before Harry spoke, luckily they were the only ones in there this time, and so neither had to worry about being overheard. "Thanks for the help. It would have been much harder without you." And a great deal of fire would have been involved, but he was probably better off not mentioning that part.

"Nonsense, that was the least I could do, I broke your wand, but hopefully this evens us out. It is hardly like I could watch injustice anyway; it's my job after all!"

Her answer had Harry chuckling. It was refreshing to hear such a response. How many years would it take for her opinion to change? Harry was certain that one day she would end up looking the other way for the sake of a bigger pay. "Maybe we could meet up for a drink, or perhaps something to eat?" She was a likeable person, someone whom he could see introducing to the family. Severus would enjoy speaking with her, even if they might not share the same interests. And Fenrir might see her as someone to harass instead of Harry. But with how much Gwyn looked like Ginny, Harry knew that Teddy would see the similarities. And that was a heart ache Harry would not allow to happen.

"Why Lord Grey, are you asking me out?" Her question broke off Harry's train of thoughts. And despite her teasing tone, there was a glint of something in her eyes that would have warned Harry off if he really had been interested in her.

"Sorry, but you look a little too much like my wife." He said as their arrival to Level One was announced by the woman's voice and the grits opened. "But it would make me happy if we could be friends." He offered as he stepped out of the lift.

Her smile convinced that he had made the right decision in how to respond. He had the feeling that she would not have taken it well if he had tried to follow out her line of thoughts.

And Ginny had claimed that he had no understanding of how a woman thought, if she could see him now, Ginny would be eating her words.

"I'll see if there is a clear spot in my calendar. Have a nice day, Hadrian." Before he could correct her way of addressing him, the grits had fallen back in place and the lift was moving on to its next destination.

In remarkable better mood than he had been upon entering, Harry walked down the long hall, wavering to the security guy as he passed his desk. The only thing that could possible make his day better was if he could have a few choice words with Dumbledore. The old man needed to know that he couldn't keep sticking his nose into matters that had nothing to do with him. At some point someone might actually get annoyed enough to take a bite of it, if he wasn't careful.

Far enough from the Ministry building that none of the detector spells would catch onto him, Harry pulled to the side of the busy street and knelt down by a shop window. He pulled the unbound shoelace off his shoe and with a whispered spell, he was once again holding his Holy wand in one hand. The broken pieces of wood had been transformed back to his snapped shoelaces. Lacking other options, Harry had used some basic transfiguration to exchange those two while still in the telephone box. That Gwyn had bumped into him had been unplanned, but it had benefitted him. Having someone knocking him off balance had made it seem more convincing than if he had done it on his own.

Cheerful Harry tucked his wand safely away. It would be just his luck if it actually ended broken after the play he had put on.

A quick glance around proved that none of the Muggles were giving him more than a passing look. But heck, if those people were anything like the Dursleys, they would have convinced themselves that it was a part of their imagination, even if he did an actual magically act in front of them.

It would be a shame to let such an opportunity go by.

The next moment Harry was back in the living room, his eyes sliding closed as he found himself standing in a sunbeam. Feeling the tension bleed out of his body Harry stretched with a satisfied hum. Was there anything better than returning to a home still standing?

Though it was a little on the quiet side. Fenrir had likely taken the boys out in the woods to look for the plants Severus had been talking about. They could probably spend the whole day outside, only returning once it would be too dark to look for the ingredients any longer. With how big those woods were, it would be a wasted effort to go looking for them.

Summoning parchment and ink, Harry dotted down a message for them all. Just to let them know that everything had turned out well, Harry would be going to the shop and he would probably be home for dinner time.

He didn't bother to sign the paper, since no one knew where their house was it was a limited selection who could make it, and left the message at the dinner table. They would probably be hungry upon returning, so that had the biggest chance of the paper being found.

**)00(**

"I thought, I made it clear that you are not welcome here, old man." He hadn't expected Flamel to show up again after having been thrown out of the shop. There had to be a way to ban him and make sure that he stayed away. The fact that Flamel so far hadn't moved away from the door didn't escape Harry's notice. He probably wanted to be able to make a quick exit should it prove to be necessary.

"Yes, well, I believe that we each made a wrong first impression. It was not my intention to insinuate that you were the one to put marks on that boy. And I should not have gone to Albus with my unfounded suspicions, as dear Penny pointed out to me afterwards."

The rage swelled up in Harry at those words. So he had been right about Flamel tattling to Dumbledore. And Dumbledore had used some of his connections in the Ministry to try and take Severus away. Why was it that those people could not stay out of his business? First Flamel had made Teddy cry, and then he had risked losing his family because of this man.

"You have some nerve showing yourself here again. Because of people like you, I nearly lost one of my boys today." But it hadn't happened, or Harry wouldn't be bothering with keeping the heat inside. "Before you say that you were only doing what you thought was best, you can stick it up where the sun doesn't shine. Someone already tried that excuse when they wanted to take Teddy away from me. If the first time doesn't work, you can bet that any other attempts won't either." As he spoke, Harry moved around the counter, slowly making his way towards Flamel.

Despite facing someone out for vengeance Flamed stood his ground, Harry had to give him that much. He was well aware that he was affecting the room's temperature with all the heat he was leaking. It was all he could do not to produce actual flames and as long as he did not come too close, Flamel shouldn't be able to figure the source of the sudden heat in the room. Still, Harry stared at some point over the man's shoulder rather than looking Flamel into the eyes. With how long Flamel had lived, Flamel had mastered quite a few fields, probably including but not limited to the mind arts. Having his mind read was not a risk Harry was willing to take.

Harry stopped with some distance still between them, giving Flamel plenty of room for when he decided to make his exit. "So, if you are here to be difficult, spare me the trouble, please." At least no one could fault him for not being polite.

"I think you misunderstood me, young lad, I came here to apologise for my actions, as I said before they-"

"Oh, stuff it." Harry cut in. "I am not interested in hearing what you have to say and if you want me happy, you can do so by removing yourself from my shop and staying away from my family." It was tempting to let out enough heat to make Flamel realise that he was not welcome here. It had worked so well last time, though the peace had lasted for a shorter period than Harry would have preferred. But Flamel had not lived this long being stupid. Once could be written off as a coincidence, but a second time might make him suspicious of Harry.

Flamel pursed his lips. "I understand that you are hostile, but don't you think that this is taking it too far?"

With a speed he had been forced to achieve Harry had his wand out and pointed it at Flamel's chest. "I honestly don't care for what you think. What I do care about is whether calling the Aurors or dealing with you myself is easier." He held his wand steady, giving no hint of which way he was inclined to go. But it would be rather too much of a bother to contact and wait for the Aurors to arrive. And after have been at their headquarter once, Harry really didn't feel like dealing with anything Ministry related.

Dealing with Flamel was like trying to get Teddy to bed when the boy was overtired. Sometimes words just didn't cut it, and Harry had to carry his godson to bed. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be as easy as simply picking Flamel up and placing him outside the door.

Glowering at the wizard Harry pointed at the door with his free hand. "I suggest that you make yourself sacred. You won't like it when I lose my temper."

Flamel seemed to deflect of the warm air that had kept him going for so long. "Perhaps you need a little more breathing room before I try again. I, personally, have never had any children, so I will not claim to understand your ire. As much as we might have wanted offspring, it is an impossible dream for Penny and me." There was something wishful about Flamel's words, and it made Harry stop the angry retort he had been prepared to lash out with.

He didn't delude himself into believing he understood the pain of not being able to conceive children. Though he had lost a child when Ginny had been murdered. If he hadn't had Teddy and now also Severus, Harry doubted that he wouldn't have followed them to the other side. It brought the question whether it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all to his mind. Frankly, Harry had no answer for that.

Pinching his nose Harry let out a huff of air, further annoyed that the breath felt warmer against his hand than it was supposed. Even if he might feel sorry for the Flamels, now wasn't the best time to think about it. "Just leave."

He was pleasantly surprised when Flamel nodded without a verbal response, though for a moment the old man looked like he really wanted to say something. Instead the man nodded again, accepting Harry's refusal and walked out of the shop with slumped shoulders.

Harry waited a minute, half expecting it to be some kinds of play, letting his wand disappear back into his pocket. But he watched Flamel make his way down Diagon Alley, unnoticed by the others mingling on the street. Running a hand through his hair, Harry shook his head. Flamel wasn't his problem and Harry would prefer it if it stayed that way.

The bell chimed as Harry headed back for the counter, signalling that someone had entered the shop. His hand twisted, Harry half expecting that Flamel had returned already. But instead Harry recognised Jeffrey. "Hey, I know you are young and in love, but even I cannot make another ring so fast. Besides, weren't you planning for a spring wedding?" Harry's chuckles died as soon as he noticed that the other did not share his mirth. In fact the younger man looked like he had watched someone drown his kitten.

"Actually, I would like to hear if it is too late to cancel the ring?" Jeffrey didn't meet his gaze, apparently finding the floor much more interesting to study.

Several thoughts ran through Harry mind upon hearing what Jeffrey had said. He quickly quelled the first impulse to roast the man for cancelling the wedding when he had seen how happy it had made his girlfriend.

"It's not that I do not want her to have a ring, Lucia is the sweetest, most kind hearted girl, and she's the joy of my life. But I just got fired from my job because of cutbacks. As it is right now, I can't afford the wedding, or even the ring, she deserves." To Harry's horror, tears streamed down Jeffrey's cheeks by the end of his small outburst.

Gnawing on his lip, Harry pulled Jeffrey along behind the counter and got him to settle down on the single chair he kept behind there. The younger man offered no protest but merely allowed the manhandling as the perfect picture of a defeated soul. For a moment Harry said nothing, his mind running over what he knew.

Losing a job was a bad thing, even at the best of times. And despite the thing with Voldemort was not as bad as it would get, Harry knew that getting a new job wouldn't be easy. Especially not when there were plenty of young people to choose from. "Why don't you come and work for me?" Now where he had voiced it, it seemed like a pretty good idea. "There aren't many customers yet, so I don't know how much I'll be able to pay you. But it is something while you look for another job. And once there comes a steady flow of customers, I can promise a more decent pay."

In Harry's opinion it was the perfect solution. With someone behind the counter, he'd have more time to spend with the family. Even if it was only part time, Jeffrey would relieve him of some mind numbing work. It was a win-win situation no matter how he looked at it. Though, if he didn't get some customers soon, he might not be able to keep Jeffrey for long.

"So what do you say? Become my minion, and I promise you that by the time of your wedding, you will be able to afford cake, ring and whatever else you believe Lucia deserves." And Harry would do his dammed best to keep that promise.

**)00(**

"That Grey is a tough little shit." Alastor growled as he sunk into the seat in front of Albus' desk. Somehow the little crap had known that Albus had asked him to keep watch in case that Grey decided to show himself at the Ministry. Or perhaps Grey carried a grudge from when he'd tried to arrest Greyback. Unfortunately, Grey had done nothing so far that warranted an arrest himself. Alastor would have loved to put him behind bars and see whatever dirt he would be able to dig out about him.

Now he was at Hogwarts, delivering the news of what he had observed to the only man who had the power and seemed interested in doing something about the rising problem of Voldemort. "Harris already informed me that the case fell through. Young Severus will be staying with the Greys for now. Perhaps it's for the best. It'll give me the time to find a suitable family for Severus." Albus was not even looking up from his paperwork as he spoke.

Alastor snorted. Clearly the nitwit hadn't given a full report or Albus would not be taking it as easy as he was. "I don't think that the kid will be leaving even if ya find a family willing to take his kind in. I got a glimpse of some papers, Grey has claimed a lordship, it will be virtually impossible to get the boy from him now. How about we focus on more important things? It has been too quiet lately and I really don't like it. Something big is bound to happen, I tell, but I don't know what it'll be."

**The fat lady is singing for my computer. Cross my fingers that it'll hold the year out, because I will not be able to buy a new one before January. I'll try and update whenever I can, but school will be my priority.**

**Can someone please explain to me what NaNoWriMo is? I have seen the word pop up several times, but I don't think I have ever come around to find out what it's about.**

**Thanks for the reviews, I love you people, in a totally none creepy way. Happy Halloween, Samhain and whatever else it's called. **


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